


Doctor Love

by SilverKitsune2017



Category: Naruto
Genre: Battle Scenes, Crimes & Criminals, Doctor Sasuke, Eventual Happy Ending, Evil Kabuto, F/M, Hospital, Love, Nurse Hinata, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-21
Updated: 2018-10-19
Packaged: 2019-04-06 06:09:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 61,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14050623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverKitsune2017/pseuds/SilverKitsune2017
Summary: When Naruto suggested that Sasuke should hire Hinata on to be a nurse at the hospital, he didn't think much of it. They needed the help. Why not hire the shy, sweet girl that he vaguely remembered from high school? It was all rather ironic, he mused. He knew that the nurses all secretly called him "Dr. Love," behind his back. He just never expected to fall in love with one of them.





	1. The New Nurse

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note: I decided to try a modern Sasuke x Hinata story to mix things up a bit. This is one of my older works. So the style is more basic than my newer stuff, but I love the plot. So I decided to post it here anyway. With that being said, I hope you all enjoy this chapter and reviews are always appreciated.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing and make no profit off of any of my fanfics.

"Hey, Bastard! You know how you said you were looking for a new nurse at the hospital?" Naruto asks his best friend cheerfully over lunch.

Naruto and Sasuke had known each other for as long as either of them could remember. They had grown up in the same neighborhood and everything. Having lunch together was a tradition that they greatly enjoyed, whenever they got the chance.

"Yeah. What about it?" Sasuke replies as he takes a bite into his tomato salad.

"Well what about Hinata?" The blonde suggests.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. The name was vaguely familiar. Where had he heard it before? Oh right. The Hyuga girl from high school.

"Hinata's a nurse? I'm surprised that her family allowed that. She's an heiress. The woman doesn't need to work." He muses.

"Yeah. Hinata's a nurse! She's a really good one too! I guess she got tired of her family bossing her around. She disowned herself. So did Neji and Hanabi. Anyway, she became a nurse and I know she just moved to the city. So I figured since you were looking, maybe you could talk to her about the opening. " He continues.

The young doctor considers it. Naruto was right. The hospital was a little understaffed. His nurses were going crazy, trying to keep up. There wasn't a reason not to at least interview her.

"She told her blue-blood family off? Good for her. Didn't know Hinata had it in her. Yeah. I can talk to her. Do you have her number?" Sasuke inquires.

Naruto nods. He quickly scribbles her number onto a sheet of paper and hands it to Sasuke. The youngest Uchiha quickly pockets it and goes back to eating.

"You know that you are really weird, right? Seriously, tomatoes?" The blonde asks with a laugh.

"What's wrong with tomatoes? At least they are healthier than those cheap noodles that you practically live on." Sasuke states with mild irritation.

"They are such rabbit food. Damn. It's later than I thought. I should probably head back to the office. I'll see you later." Naruto says as he pays for his meal, before heading off.

* * *

About an hour later, Sasuke found himself in his office. He takes out his cell and dials the number. There was no time like the present.

"Hello?" He says into the phone as he waits for her to pick up or the chance to leave a message.

"Hello? Who is this?" He hears a shy voice ask a few minutes later.

"Hinata? This is Sasuke. I'm not sure if you remember me from high school or not, but the idiot gave me your number." Sasuke begins.

Hinata tries to stifle a quiet laugh. Of course she remembered him. Sasuke and Naruto had been inseparable in high school and apparently that hadn't changed as the years went by. The two of them had fought like cats and dogs, but they were also like brothers.

"Yes, I remember you. You really shouldn't call Naruto an idiot. That's mean." She chides him gently.

"He's an idiot. You know it just as well as I do. I didn't say who the idiot was, but you automatically knew who I was talking about. Therefore, you proved my point." Sasuke says smugly.

The young nurse just shakes her head in amusement. Sasuke hadn't changed at all. Still she couldn't help but wonder why he had called.

"It's great to hear from you again, but why did Naruto give you my number?" Hinata inquires.

"I'm a doctor now. Naruto says that you are a nurse and we are looking to add another to our staff. We are understaffed at the moment and could really use the help. So I was wondering, if you would be interested in meeting me to see if you are interested." He answers her smoothly.

Hinata blinks. Sasuke was potentially offering her a job. She wasn't sure what she expected when she realized who was calling her, but that hadn't been it.

"I'd love to!" The bluenette replies cheerfully.

"Great. So what would be a good time for you? We are booked rock solid, so it doesn't matter to me. Anyway, I slice it…I'm going to have to reschedule a patient." He states.

Hinata felt a stab of pity for the Uchiha. It sounded like he was really being pushed to his limits. So she decides it would be best to meet him as soon as possible.

"I could be at the hospital in twenty minutes, if you like. Where should I go to meet you?" The former heiress questions him.

Sasuke smirks. He had to give her this much, she was certainly eager to please. That was a good sign at least, he notes as he gives her directions.

"Great. I'll be there soon." Hinata tells him.

"I look forward to it. See you in a few minutes." He states and hangs up.

* * *

A short while later, Hinata arrives at his office. Sasuke blinks. Was this really the same wallflower that he remembered from high school?

Hinata had always been beautiful, but she had been so quiet that it was easy to overlook her. Now that there were dozens of students nearby, he got a good look at her. How had he not noticed how stunning she was before?

"Hey, Hinata. Thanks for coming. Have a seat." He says and the young woman quickly does exactly that.

Her hair was bluer than the ocean and cascaded to the middle of her back in straight silken strands. Her eyes reminded him of fairytale princess with their exotic lavender color and innocent expression. She was wearing a white business jacket with a matching skirt and lavender shirt.

There was nothing deliberately provocative about the outfit, except for the curvaceous figure it was covering. The skirt came to a few inches below her knees. It was just short enough that Sasuke could see enough of her shapely legs to catch his attention. The shirt flattered her ample breasts and womanly curves in a subtle way. She was sitting down, so thankfully he wasn't currently tempted to continue his subtle admiration.

"Thanks for asking me. It was really nice of Naruto to give you my number." She says with a soft smile.

"Yes, the idiot is very nice. I knew there was a reason I kept him around. We mostly need a nightshift nurse. I know that a lot of people don't like working nights because they are hectic and it can be difficult to adjust your sleep schedule, but the pay is slightly higher than the day shift to compensate for those facts." He begins.

Hinata nods. That made sense. She didn't really mind working nights. So that was just fine with her.

"The nightshift is fine with me." The Hyuga woman informs him.

"Great. Well the hospital is really good at benefits. Medical, dental, vision, child care, sick days, retirement packages, and things like that are all pretty good. The main thing that I would be concerned about is your temperament." Sasuke continues.

"My temperament? What do you mean?" Hinata stammers.

Damn it! She hated when she stuttered. Fortunately, she had mostly outgrown it. Every once in awhile though, it would come back. This was usually only when she was nervous.

"You're very nice, Hinata. Some of the other nurses are more aggressive than you. I try not to disparage my colleagues, but they do love to gossip. I'm worried that they might take advantage of your kindness." Sasuke admits.

"Sasuke, we graduated high school almost a decade ago. I'm a different person now than when I was 18. I've grown. I'm not as shy as I used to be. I can handle it, if they act inappropriately. I wouldn't make a very good nurse, if I was a complete doormat." The bluenette says, surprising even herself by how assertive her response was.

Sasuke smirks. Good for her. She kicked her pretentious family to the curve and found a backbone.

"Good to know. Well if you want the job then, you got it. When can you start?" He asks.

"As soon as you need me." Hinata says.

"Well I should probably talk to the Head Nurse and let her know that you are hired. Come back tomorrow at eight and ask for Sakura Haruno." Sasuke tells her.

Hinata nods. Sasuke hands her an employee handbook and that was that. They quickly say their good byes and Hinata heads off. Once she gets to her car, she does a little happy dance at getting the job. She really needed to thank Naruto for this.

* * *

The next day, Hinata returns to the hospital. She smiles. The bluenette was really excited about her new job.

"I'm here to speak with Sakura Haruno, please? I'm the new nurse and Dr. Uchiha said that she would conduct my orientation." Hinata explains to the receptionist.

"Oh of course. I'll buzz her." The blonde woman says and Hinata idly notes that her name tag said Ino on it.

"What is it, Ino?" A pink haired woman asks as she strides over to them.

"This woman says that she's the new nurse. Dr. Love told her that you would be conducting her orientation." Ino informs her.

Hinata blinks. Dr. Love? Who were they talking about? Sasuke's last name was Uchiha, not Love.

"Ino! She's new. She doesn't know about everyone's nickname yet. I'm really sorry, Miss Hyuga. It's common practice for the nurses to give all the doctors nicknames. We call Dr. Uchiha, Dr. Love. Well at least that's what we call him when he isn't looking." She says with a giggle.

"Oh I see. Though I don't really understand how that nickname would suit him?" Hinata asks in confusion as the Head Nurse leads her off on a tour.

Sakura blushes. It was a bit embarrassing to admit this to someone who just started. Then again, she supposed it didn't really matter. Hinata was a member of the staff now. She was going to hear about it one way or another.

"We call him that because all the female nurses are in love with him. It's a nice fantasy. The man doesn't seem to have an interest in anyone. Believe me, I have tried. So has pretty much everyone else here." Sakura says with a shrug.

"High school never really ends." Hinata says with a giggle.

In high school, Sasuke and Naruto had been the two most popular boys. Naruto was the archetype of a loveable "dumb" jock. (Hinata didn't think he was dumb, he was just a really carefree individual). Sasuke on the other hand, had his own throngs of admirers because he had that whole tall, dark, and mysterious thing going on. He was an enigma.

"What do you mean?" Sakura inquires in confusion at that response.

Hinata had a major crush on Naruto for all of middle school and most of high school. It took her until she was a Sophomore to finally get the courage to really talk to the blonde. Once that had happened, the Hyuga Heiress and Naruto quickly became fast friends.

"Sasuke and I went to the same school. He had a lot of admirers back then too." Hinata answers her.

She wasn't sure when it had happened exactly, but she had started only thinking of him as a friend and not a boyfriend. They still kept in touch, even after graduation. She would never forget that he had been there for her when she finally left most of her family behind. The only exceptions were her sister and cousin.

"Oh. It really is a small world sometimes, huh?" Sakura says as she shows Hinata where the cafeteria was.

"Yes, it is." Hinata agrees as she looks around at the truly massive cafeteria.

"Yeah. It's pretty intense. Sharingan Hospital is very state of the art. We just really needed more people to help out. But as far as the facilities go, well it's very hard to top this. The food is great too. Our head chef, Choji, is amazing. He really should get his own cooking show, one of these days. He's that good." The Head Nurse tells her.

The bluenette nods. Well that was good. Good food was always a plus. If that was accurate, she wouldn't need to leave the hospital to find something edible for lunch. She had heard so many horror stories about hospital food at other places.

* * *

Sakura continues showing Hinata around for awhile. The pink haired woman was very thorough about introducing the new nurse to everyone. She takes Hinata into one of the doctor's offices.

"Dr. Yakushi, this is Hinata Hyuga. She's our new nurse. I thought that perhaps she could help you out today. Hinata, this is Kabuto Yakushi. He's our top Geriatrician." Sakura explains.

Hinata nods. Geriatricians were doctors who specialized in caring for the elderly. That didn't sound too bad.

"It's a **_pleasure_** to meet you, Hinata. Have you given her a uniform yet, Sakura?" He inquires.

"Oh damn it. Hinata, what size are you?" Sakura asks.

"I'm a medium." The bluenette answers helpfully as Sakura scurries off to get her a uniform.

Kabuto shakes his head in amusement. He chuckles as the Head Nurse darts off. The silver haired doctor takes a moment to admire his new nurse. She was quite the beauty. Hmm no wedding ring either.

"How are you liking the hospital so far?" He asks.

"Oh it's beautiful. This place is amazing. How long have you been working here?" Hinata inquires in a friendly fashion.

"I've been here since my residency. I liked it so much that I didn't see a reason to leave. So when they offered me a permanent position, I took it." Kabuto says.

Hinata nods. She felt more than a little relieved when Sakura came back with her uniform. The nurse didn't particularly care for the way the doctor's eyes would linger over her figure just a little too long.

"Why don't you go try this on, in the bathroom? If you need a bigger or smaller size, we can find you one." The pink haired woman says and Hinata nods, heading off to do exactly that.

Thankfully, it did fit. Sakura excuses herself to go check in on some other nurses. That meant that Hinata was alone with Kabuto, except for when they were working with patients.

* * *

A few hours later, Kabuto smiles as he opens the door for her. He places his hand on her waist as he helps her outside of the room. Hinata glances back at him somewhat nervously.

"You did very well today. It's not often that someone can come to work for a new hospital and assimilates so quickly. The patients really do seem to like you. Though I can hardly blame them. Perhaps you would like to celebrate your new job, by going out for breakfast with me?" He asks.

It was now about six in the morning the morning. Hinata had arrived at eight the night before. Orientation could be a very long process, she supposed. The bluenette bit her lower lip. She wasn't really sure what to say.

"Kabuto, it's a bit early to be trying to seduce the new nurse, isn't it?" Sasuke asks in casual fashion, but the tone was anything but.

Hinata found herself almost shivering. There was a certain steel to his voice. Sasuke's words might not be saying it, but there was no missing the underlying meaning. The youngest Uchiha wanted Kabuto to back off and quickly.

"Oh I was just being friendly. She's new. I thought she could use a friend is all. You should try it sometime, Sasuke. You know, being nice to your coworkers and socializing with them?" Kabuto asks in feigned innocence.

"You should try getting your hand off of her waist, before she nails your ass for sexual harassment." Sasuke states.

"Hinata, is my hand on your waist making you uncomfortable?" The silver haired man asks.

The bluenette mentally gulps. A showdown between two doctors over her 'virtue' was not exactly how she wanted her first day of work to go. This was awkward. Still she supposed that she should prove to Sasuke she meant what she said. She wasn't the shy girl she had been in high school.

"It is. I didn't want to cause a scene, but it's unprofessional and I don't really like it." She says and wiggles out of his grasp.

Kabuto was less than pleased by this answer. He had been hoping to have some fun with the sexy nurse. Well this was a setback, but not one that he couldn't recover form. She might only be protesting because Sasuke was there.

"My apologies, Nurse Hyuga. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. My intention was purely to make you feel welcomed into our hospital." He says.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. The word purely should never come out of Kabuto's mouth as far as the youngest Uchiha was concerned. At least Hinata was smart enough to see what he was planning though.

"That's alright. Just please don't do it again." Hinata says.

The raven haired doctor was very tempted to interject that it was NOT alright. He bites his tongue though. It was Hinata's business how she wanted to react towards Kabuto's advances, not his.

"Very well. I do hope that we can look past this uncomfortable incident and become good friends." The silver haired doctor says.

Hinata merely nods her head. In reality, she didn't want to be anywhere near him. The young woman knew better than to say that though. Even if she was placed with another doctor, she was still going to see Kabuto around the hospital. It wouldn't be smart to pick a fight, where there didn't necessarily have to be one.

If he didn't leave her alone though, she would show him that she was a black belt in karate. Her family prided itself on a few things. One of them was their knowledge of martial arts. Hinata was confident that she could deal with Kabuto, if he tried to push things further.

"I won't report you this time. If you try anything like that again, I will though. I'm going to clock out. My shift is over." Hinata states firmly and heads off.

* * *

Sasuke resisted the impulse to smack Kabuto for the way he watched the blunette leave. He was clearly checking out her ass. He mentally counts to ten and somehow manages to fight back the impulse. (It was a close call though).

"It's not like you to play the Knight in Shining Armor." Kabuto muses.

"It's not like you to be stupid enough to sexually harass a nurse so blatantly. If you do it again and she doesn't report you, I will. Trust me when I say you don't want that to happen." Sasuke hisses at him.

Kabuto raises an eyebrow in amusement. Hmm. Was he detecting a hint of possessiveness in Sasuke's tone? Yes, yes he did believe that he was.

"I didn't realize that the two of you were dating. I saw no wedding ring on her finger and assumed she was single. That appears to have been my mistake." The silver haired doctor replies.

"We aren't dating. I don't know if she's seeing anyone, but it's none of your business. She just clearly told you to back off. So you had better be sure to do it. I'm going to make certain that she is assigned to assist another doctor. Clearly, you can't behave in a professional manner around her." Sasuke snaps at him.

Ah so that was it. Sasuke might not be dating her, but he was carrying a torch for the nurse. Oh this could be fun.

"That's it, Sasuke. Run to your big brother to save the day. It's amazing that you can even manage to tie your own shoes without his help." Kabuto taunts him.

"Fuck you, Kabuto. You only got this job because you sucked up to Orochimaru. I got in based on merit. I don't need my brother to save the day." Sasuke practically snarls at him.

Itachi Uchiha was the Hospital Administer. He was also Sasuke's older brother. The Uchiha family had owned the Sharingan Hospital for generations. Itachi was simply better at managing the business aspects of it and Sasuke was better at providing care.

"Uh huh. Which is why you are going to run right to him to ask Hinata to be assigned to another physician. I never would have suspected that Sasuke Uchiha was so shy. It's cute. Adorable really. You don't even have the balls to ask her out." Kabuto taunts him.

"My personal life is none of your business. Keep provoking me and your ass will be fired. Not even Orochimaru will save you." Sasuke warns him as he walks off.

* * *

Damn it. He shouldn't have let Kabuto get under his skin like that. He really should know better. He sighs and goes looking for Hinata.

"Hinata, do you want me to walk you to your car? I feel bad about what happened back there and want to apologize." Sasuke says once he finds her.

"Alright. Though you don't really have anything to apologize for. You were just trying to help." Hinata says with a smile as they walk towards her car.

"Yeah. I still feel a little guilty. I did put you on the spot there. That wasn't fair of me." The youngest Uchiha continues.

Hinata nods in agreement. That was true. Still it was the thought that counted. Though she was going to prove once and for all that she was not the shy, timid girl that he remembered from high school.

"The only thing you have to apologize for is thinking that I couldn't take care of myself. I know about 23 different ways to render a man of Kabuto's size unconscious easily. I'm a black belt in karate." She says.

Sasuke blinks. It was hard for him to imagine the beautiful, sweet nurse as being a black belt in karate. Then again, he mentally scolded himself. He really shouldn't stereotype.

"That's good. I'm glad that you know how to handle yourself, if he doesn't get the message." Sasuke offers.

"You don't believe me. I'll prove it." Hinata says as she grabs his arm and flips him over her shoulder until he lands on the soft grass nearby.

Sasuke blinks. Damn. Had Hinata Hyuga just thrown him like it was nothing?!

"Point proven." The doctor says in utter shock.

"Good." Hinata says with a smile and helps him up.

"I guess that you didn't need my help after all." Sasuke muses afterwards as he tries to process the fact that Hinata had just gotten the better of him in a "fight."

She shakes her head. No, she didn't need him to step in. That didn't mean that she wasn't grateful though.

"It's the thought that counts and I would rather not have to 'attack' someone on my first day at work. It was really nice of you to try to help me like that. Not a lot of people would have done it." Hinata tells him.

"Thanks. I don't think nice is a word that gets applied to me often. Itachi will likely have a good laugh at that. So I'll see you tomorrow?" He asks.

Hinata nods her head. The bluenette quickly gets in her car and drives off. Sasuke watches as the Hyuga woman leaves the parking lot and sighs. What a day.

"Well that was unexpectedly gallant of you. Walking the new nurse to her car after the Kabuto incident, was surprisingly thoughtful." He hears a silky voice call from behind him.

Sasuke freezes. Fuck. He'd recognize that voice anywhere. It was Itachi. He was in big trouble.

"How much did you see exactly?" He asks.

"Oh enough to know that I'm definitely assigning Hinata to another doctor and chivalry isn't dead. Your little Hyuga Princess certain is full of surprises though. I never would have thought that she would be able to knock you on your ass so easily. I can see why you are attracted to her." Itachi muses.

Damn it. Itachi had apparently seen everything. Sasuke only really had one option left to him at the moment. Denial. When in doubt, deny…deny!

"Yeah. She surprised me too and I'm not attracted to her. I just didn't want to leave her alone with that creep. Thanks for assigning her to someone else though. She's Naruto's friend. He'd have my ass, if he knew that I was letting someone like Kabuto work with her." Sasuke replies, hoping that would be sufficient enough to make Itachi drop the matter.

He really should have known better though. Itachi was his big brothers. It was some sort of cosmic law of the universe that big brothers had to embarrass their little brothers. Itachi was no exception.

"I'm sure that's all true, except the part about you not being attracted to her. I wasn't born yesterday, Sasuke. I saw how you were looking at her. I suppose that's why you are my foolish little brother. For a genius, sometimes you do miss the obvious. Come on. Let's go have breakfast together." Itachi says and Sasuke sighs as he follows the other man to his car.

He knew what that meant. Whenever Itachi invited him over for a meal, it was code for interrogation. The Spanish Inquisition had NOTHING on Itachi Uchiha. This was not going to be fun.


	2. A Family Practice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata begins to find out more about her new work environment. More specifically, she discovers more about the Uchiha Family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. Unfortunately, my update rate will be a bit unpredictable for the foreseeable future. Don't worry though. I have no intention of abandoning this story. With that being said, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
> 
> Chapter Notations: Shisui may be OOC. I tend to portray him in a rather flirtatious manner. Without drama of the ninja era, one could argue that different character's personalities would be altered significantly. I have also made Shisui Sasuke's and Itachi's cousin. That may or may not be cannon. I know that they are related to Shisui, but not exactly how.

Shisui was just arriving at work when he saw his cousins getting into Itachi's car. Uh oh. He felt a flash of pity for Sasuke. The young Uchiha knew what that meant. Itachi was taking the doctor to breakfast. That meant that Sasuke was about to be interrogated.

"Poor guy. Glad I'm not him." He mutters to himself as he heads into the hospital and greets a pretty lab technician.

"Morning. We are running a bit low on test tubes." She warns him.

"Alright. I'll be sure to order them. Anything else that I can do for you, Beautiful?" He asks cheerfully.

The technician giggles. Shisui was by far the most flirtatious of the Uchihas. She knew that he was just playing around. As much as he might like to project himself as a Casanova, everyone knew the truth. He just enjoyed flirting. He wasn't leading anyone on.

"You wish there was something else you could do for me. Now go get those test tubes." Tenten says.

"Oh there is PLENTY that I could do for you. In particular, I do have one really big test tube. Alright. Alright. I'll go get them. Be right back." He says with a wink and bounds off.

She shakes her head and laughs. That was Shisui for you. Too bad for him, she was more interested in a certain paramedic with lavender eyes. Now that Neji had left his family, maybe they could be together.

Tenten knew that she would never fit in with those high society types and that was why she hadn't told Neji how she felt. She hadn't wanted to drive a wedge between him and his family.

Now things were different though. The lab technician just didn't know how to tell him about her feelings. The young woman sighs and decides that she would simply have to come up with something.

* * *

"Morning, Mikoto. Morning, Fugaku. We need some more test tubes for the labs." Shisui says as he walks into the married couple's office.

Fugaku and Mikoto used to run the hospital, but two years ago they had given Itachi the _keys to the Kingdom._ Now their eldest son was in charge of the hospital and performed most of the pressing duties. Mikoto and Fugaku were semi retired and helped out with a few of the more mundane tasks. (This mostly involved paperwork, budgeting, and managing the hospital's public image).

"Alright. I'll order some." Fugaku says as he takes pulls out the necessary form.

"You look mildly terrified. Is something wrong?" Mikoto asks Shisui.

"Not sure yet. Itachi took Sasuke to breakfast. So something's up. I just don't know what." He answers honestly.

There was really no point in ever lying to Mikoto Uchiha. Shisui wasn't sure how she did it, but she would always find out the truth one way or another. She was a beautiful middle aged woman with a serene smile, but you'd be an idiot to let that fool you. Quite honestly, you had to know that the woman had a few tricks up her sleeves. How else would she keep her husband and two sons in line?

The lovers exchanged a slightly worried glance. They both knew what happened when Itachi took Sasuke out for breakfast. Oh boy.

"You take Sasuke and I'll handle Itachi?" Fugaku suggests.

"Yes, that sounds like a fine idea. I suppose we should let them enjoy their meal first. That way Itachi can figure out what is going on with Sasuke." His wife agrees.

Shisui shakes his head in amusement. Well no one could deny that they functioned as a unit. The two were practically inseparable. It was like Yin and Yang really. The two couldn't be more different, but somehow it worked.

* * *

Meanwhile Sasuke sighs. This wasn't going to be fun. The brothers order their breakfast and he braces himself.

"Sasuke, must you make that face?" Itachi asks in amusement.

"What face?" His younger brother asks in feigned innocence.

"The one that it looks as though I am taking you off to the guillotine. I am merely interested in ensuring that my foolish little brother is happy. Is that so wrong?" He inquires as he smiles at the waitress, who heads off to get their order.

Sasuke thought that look was rather appropriate actually. Some days he thought his brother should have been in the CIA or FBI. He was really that good at getting answers out of people.

"I feel it fits the occasion. So yes, I must give you that look. Itachi, nothing is going on. Kabuto was harassing Hinata. So I decided to walk her to her car to make sure that creep didn't follow her. That's all there was to it." He says smoothly.

Itachi raises an eyebrow. Damn it. Not the eyebrow thing! Shit! Sasuke knew what that meant. His brother had detected blood in the water. Much like a shark, he was going to go in for the "kill" now.

"I don't doubt that what you just said is true. As I said, it was rather gallant of you. But we both know that isn't all there was to it. You may as well be honest with me. I'm going to find out the truth sooner or later. Sooner would be much better for you." He says with a deceptively friendly smile.

Sasuke mentally sighs. He knew Itachi. He wouldn't let this go. Still there was always the vague hope that he could at least distract his brother for awhile. It hadn't worked yet, but maybe today he would get lucky.

"So mother and father seem to be enjoying themselves. Father said that he wants to take mother to Hawaii for Christmas this year." Sasuke offers.

"Yes, they do seem to be enjoying having more leisure time and I am happy for them. You should try it yourself. Sasuke, when was the last time you had a serious relationship with a woman?" Itachi demands.

"Define serious?" Sasuke asks as he sips his coffee.

"A relationship that lasted more than three dates. Preferably one where you actually had some physical contact beyond kissing." Itachi says.

Damn. Yeah. He had just entered the Danger Zone. It wasn't that Sasuke was shy or didn't have offers, he just was picky. Seriously, was it his fault that he wasn't attracted to the women that threw themselves at him? No. It wasn't.

"Awhile." He admits and adds some sugar to his coffee in an effort to stall for time.

"I was looking for a more specific answer." His brother continues prodding him.

"Gun to my head? If I had to give a more specific answer, I'd say a year or so." Sasuke says with a shrug.

Itachi raises his eyebrow again. This was worse than he thought. Sasuke was only 25 years old. He should be out enjoying himself.

"You haven't enjoyed the _companionship_ of a woman for a year?!" Itachi asks in disbelief.

Granted, he hadn't been overly concerned when his foolish little brother had ignored the dating scene in college. Uchihas tended to be studious by nature and Sasuke was no exception. He had been too focused on his studies to have a serious relationship.

"Well there were a couple of one night stands. You said more than three dates and intimacy, so yeah. I'd say about a year." Sasuke defends himself.

Sasuke was damn young to be a doctor and had only managed it by 'skipping' a couple years. Basically, he took twice the amount of required courses. If his other friends in med school had been taking 4 a semester, he'd take eight.

The elder Uchiha gives Sasuke a disapproving look. His brother had admitted essentially to having a couple one night stands. Bad Sasuke.

"Don't give me that look. Everyone has done it at least once. Besides, it's not like I led them on." Sasuke protests.

"I'll admit that I may have foolishly engaged in such behavior once or twice in my early twenties. I do not recommend it." The hospital administrator states firmly.

"I know. You seriously aren't going to give me a lecture, are you? Do you KNOW who our cousin is?" Sasuke demands.

Itachi chuckles. He knew that was a valid point. Still Shisui was far more bark than bite when it came to his "conquests."

"We both know that he's a flirt and nothing more. Anyway, you should know better than that. You are an Uchiha. Everybody else is doing it, is no excuse. Still that is not why I wanted to talk to you today. Just admit that you like her." The elder Uchiha commands.

"Like who?" Sasuke replies innocently.

The Hospital Administrator could only shake his head. Sasuke was really going to try this? Oh he wasn't going to let his foolish little brother get away with feigning ignorance. He knew exactly who Itachi was referring to.

"Hinata. You know that cute nurse that just knocked you off your ass?" The older man asks.

"You think she's cute? Sounds like you are jealous to me." Sasuke snorts in amusement.

"Well she's not my type, but I must admit that she is a beautiful young woman. She's a bit young for me, honestly. I've never been one to fall for the fairytale princess archetype. It seems you are though." Itachi continues.

This wasn't good. Itachi was focused like a laser. There would be no distracting him, it seemed.

"Fairytale princess archetype?" Sasuke asks and this time it was the younger Uchiha who raises his eyebrow.

"Beautiful, kind, and innocent. Though I suppose I can't rightfully call her a damsel in distress. A black belt in karate, that's impressive. It makes sense though. I imagine all Hyugas have to take self-defense training. They were a very wealthy family and a target for kidnappers." He muses.

Sasuke felt his blood boil at that thought. Uchihas had a similar social status to Hyugas. He knew exactly what it was like to be worried that your last name might attract unwanted attention.

In Sasuke's mind, the Hyugas were a bit arrogant about their good economic fortune. They were classic aristocrats. While his family was more or less relatively equal economic footing, they were a lot less formal. The Hyugas lived and breathed their public image. That came at a price sometimes. It made them targets.

"I pity any kidnapper dumb enough to try to touch her." He mutters.

"As do I. Well I can see that you are going to be stubborn about this. Though my advice would be, that you should ask her if she wants to _Play Doctor_ quickly. I highly doubt that Kabuto is going to be your only competition." Itachi informs him.

Sasuke chokes on his coffee. He couldn't believe that Itachi had said that! _Play Doctor?!_

"Is that what you do with the women you date? I guess it just doesn't sound as sexy to _Play Hospital Administrator."_ Sasuke taunts him.

Itachi shakes his head. He couldn't resist poking Sasuke on the forehead for that one. He had earned it.

"It's not a wise decision to sass your older brother." He warns him.

"It's not a wise decision to let your little brother know what sort of kinky sex games you are into. I have blackmail now. Maybe I should let Mother and Father know about your extracurricular activities." The younger Uchiha says with a smirk.

"You wouldn't." Itachi says.

"If you don't drop it, I would. Believe me, I would." Sasuke says with a smirk and pays for his meal before heading off.

* * *

The next night, Hinata was relieved to find out that she hadn't been assigned to Kabuto. They had put her with Sasuke. This was much to the envy of the other nurses.

"Beginner's luck!" Ino calls out.

Hinata endures all the playful teasing with as much dignity as she could. At certain points, the comments got rather suggestive. She felt herself blushing more than once.

"Alright. Alright. That's enough teasing the new girl. I'm sure that you will do great, Hinata." Sakura says.

"Thank you. I should probably get going. My shift officially starts in five minutes and it's a fairly long walk to his office." She mumbles and quickly scurries off.

* * *

A few minutes later, Sasuke greets her and idly glances at the clock. She arrived with a minute to spare. Hinata was certainly punctual.

"Hey. It's mostly just physicals today. There shouldn't be anything too exciting going on." He greets her.

"Alright. That sounds good." Hinata says with a smile.

Frankly, she was still relieved she hadn't gotten stuck with Kabuto. Though she did have some concerns that jealousy was going to be an issue. More than one nurse had given her a dirty look when they found out she had been assigned to assist _Doctor Love._

Hinata tries to suppress a giggle as she imagines what Sasuke's response to that nickname would be. Oh that would be priceless. Somehow she was pretty sure he would roll his eyes.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Uchiha and this Nurse Hyuga." Sasuke introduces them to a patient a few minutes later.

As the day went on, Hinata discovered that Sasuke was a really good doctor. Though something felt off. He was avoiding looking her in the eyes. Was he embarrassed about something?

"Sasuke, are you alright?" She asks as they head towards the cafeteria.

"Yeah. I'm fine, why do you ask?" The youngest Uchiha replies.

Damn Itachi. Now he had the image of _Playing Doctor_ with Hinata stuck in his head. He couldn't even look at her without blushing. Of course the bluenette was perceptive enough to realize something was up. Now he had to come up with some sort of excuse.

"I don't know. You seem a little nervous. Are you worried about the situation with Kabuto? I don't want to get you in trouble." Hinata says in a rush.

"A little. Don't worry about it though. He's just annoying. Kabuto isn't anyone to worry about. If it gets worse, we will fire him. I promise you that. The only reason that I didn't fire him is because his hand on your waist isn't really a smoking gun. He stopped when you told him to knock it off. So it'd be hard to sack him for that alone." Sasuke says with a sigh.

Hinata nods. That was true. She got the impression that there was pretty long standing rivalry between _Dr. Love and Dr. Pervert._ She pushes that thought to the side for now and decides to look at it later.

"Alright. I'm not worried. I mean we are in a hospital. There are cameras anywhere. I doubt he's really dumb enough to try anything too serious." She says.

"That's right. If he does, I swear to God I will throttle him. You aren't the only one who knows martial arts." Sasuke says with a smirk.

Hinata giggles. There was just something about that smirk. He was just so pleased with himself. It reminded her of a pet cat she had once had that caught a mouse and proudly strut around with it.

"I don't doubt that for a moment. So you and Naruto are still close?" She asks.

"He's like a second brother really. A really loud, hyper second brother." Sasuke clarifies.

"That does sound like Naruto. He is very energetic." Hinata concedes.

Sasuke shakes his head. Energetic was putting it mildly. Some days, he had to wonder what the Hell was in all that ramen the other man ate. It must have been something damn good.

"That's putting it mildly." Sasuke says.

"Sasuke, you are needed in the E.R. Doctor Inuzuka just came in with a bite victim." Fugaku says as he strides over to his son.

"Right. I'll see you later, Hinata." Sasuke says as he strides off with the other man.

* * *

Hinata tilts her head. She wondered who Doctor Inuzuka was. Thankfully, her question was answered by the receptionist, who was now also taking her lunch break.

"I know what you're thinking. Dr. Inuzuka is a vet. Something must have gone wrong at the Animal Hospital. He did mention a bite victim. Most likely a dog got a visitor or one of the vets." The blonde woman explains.

"Oh that makes sense. I hope they are okay." She mumbles.

"I'm sure they will be. The Animal Hospital is just down the road. So this happens sometimes. The Sharingan Hospital has a lot of experience dealing with animal bites." The blue eyed woman continues.

The young nurse nods. She wonders who the man was that walked off with Sasuke. The former Heiress decides to ask.

"Who was that man?" She inquires.

"Oh that's Dr. Fugaku Uchiha. He's Sasuke and Itachi's father. He used to be a doctor, but took over the hospital once his parents retired. Now he and his wife, Mikoto, just help out. Itachi is technically the owner. He's Sasuke's older brother." The receptionist explains.

Hinata blinks. Talk about a family business. Wow. That was one close knit family.

"It really is a family hospital. I've never heard of such a thing happening before." She muses.

"Yeah. Sharingan is definitely one of a kind. Their practically royalty around here. Watch out for Shisui though. He's a major flirt. It's all harmless of course, but still. If you don't know that it's all just in good fun, he can be a real heartbreaker." Her coworker informs her.

"Good to know. Who is Shisui?" Hinata asks.

"He's Sasuke and Itachi's cousin." The other woman answers.

Hinata does a double take. Damn. Just how many Uchihas were there in this hospital?!

"They must have a really big family." She observes.

"Pretty big, yeah. But really it's just Itachi, Sasuke, Fugaku, Mikoto, and Shisui that actually work here. You do see some of the others occasionally though." Ino says.

"Good to know. Do you know why Kabuto and Sasuke seem to hate each other so much?" She asks curiously.

Ino pauses. Hmm. She wasn't sure if it was a good idea to tell Hinata that yet. She was pretty new and it wouldn't be right to involve her in petty office politics just yet.

"Well it's a long story. I'll tell you, but you have to promise that you won't tell anyone that I did. I don't want to get in the middle of any of that." She replies warily.

"I won't tell anyone. I promise." Hinata vows.

"Alright. Well Kabuto was Dr. Sannin's intern. Orochimaru is a really big name in the medical field. He's famous for all sorts of research. Anyway, back when Sasuke was in med school, he ended up in one of Orochimaru's classes." Ino begins cautiously.

Hinata nods. She didn't see what the big deal was yet. There had to be more to it than that.

"What happened?" The bluenette questions her.

"Well Dr. Sannin took a real liking to Sasuke. I think Kabuto is a bit jealous actually. Sasuke doesn't seem to care too much for Orochimaru, but he knew that he was a talented doctor. So Sasuke worked on one of his research projects with him. Ever since then, the two have been at each other's throats." The blonde finishes.

Hinata pauses as she considers it. That did make sense. So Kabuto was jealous that his mentor had paid so much attention to Sasuke. Such rivalries weren't unheard of. It did explain a lot.

"Do you think Kabuto would try to hurt Sasuke?" She whispers.

"Physically? Probably not. I think he realizes that he'd lose that fight and he's not stupid enough to attack him in a hospital with all these cameras rolling. He does try to provoke him though and the two have something of a mini Cold War going on. Most of us, just try to stay out of it." The receptionist responds.

The Hyuga woman nods. Yes, maybe it would be best just to stay out of it. Still she couldn't help but feel concerned for Sasuke. Kabuto sounded like a ticking time bomb waiting to go off, in her mind.

"Thank you for telling me all of this. I think I understand things better now." Hinata says.

"Sure. No problem. So what's it like working so closely with Dr. Love? Everyone is really curious. He usually only works with male nurses or older female nurses. Probably because he doesn't want to get hit on." She reasons.

"Oh it's nice. He's a very good doctor. Maybe a little shy, but he's nice." Hinata replies.

Ino tilts her head to the side. Shy? That definitely wasn't a word that she ever would have associated with Sasuke Uchiha.

"I don't think that I've ever heard him called shy before." She muses.

"Well there is a first time for everything." Hinata says with a smile.

"Yeah. I guess so. Well I hope that you like it here. I know the nurses were kinda going crazy. There just aren't enough hours in the day sometimes." Her new friend continues.

"I'm sure I will." Hinata replies.

The bluenette glances around the cafeteria. She wondered how long it would take Sasuke to come back. It was strange. She couldn't get his smirk or his voice out of her mind.

She had known him for years, but not well. Mostly she just knew him as Naruto's friend. He was the best friend of the boy she had a crush on. He had been an afterthought. Besides, she never really got to interact with him much. Now things were different though.

"Oh by the way, you really should try the chocolate strawberries. Those are really good!" Ino says.

"I'll be sure to do that." The Hyuga woman says as she gets a bag of the fancy desert.

Hinata had outgrown her crush on her friend and now Sasuke was no longer in the background. He was her boss. A boss with a voice like pure silk and who the other nurses called Dr. Love for a very good reason.

She supposed there was no real harm in looking. The nurse highly doubted that Dr. Love would even notice if she did and it seemed unlikely he'd date a coworker. No, she was simply admiring the view. That was all.


	3. A Good Reason

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke and Hinata go on their first date as the Uchiha Family becomes increasingly curious about their relationship. Not to mention, Kabuto is still fuming about well, everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

A few days later and things had finally settled down. As far as Sasuke could tell, Kabuto hadn't harassed Hinata again. He could also look his beautiful nurse in the eye now. The memory of Itachi embarrassing him about _Playing Doctor_ was starting to fade. So all in all things were going well.

Sasuke really should have known better. He should have known never to drop his guard like that. His mother was an observant individual and had been waiting for that to happen. She pounced.

"Baby, would you help me carry in some of these boxes? There are so many of them and they are pretty heavy." Mikoto asks sweetly.

The young doctor took the bait. He nods and heads over. Sasuke starts hauling the boxes inside the office, alongside his mother. He should have known this was a set up.

"Thank you. So did you and Itachi have fun at breakfast the other day?" She asks.

Sasuke still wasn't suspicious yet. He should have been. Unfortunately, Mikoto had the uncanny ability to put people at ease. She never hesitated to use this to her advantage.

"You know what Itachi's like. It was more like an interrogation with food than breakfast." He mutters.

"That does sound like Itachi. You know that he means well, right? He's just trying to look out for you. Of course, it would be nice if he could do it in a more…relaxed fashion." Mikoto offers.

The youngest Uchiha sighs and nods his head. He knew that his mother was right. In his own demented way, Itachi was just showing that he cared. He just really wished that his brother didn't act like he had strapped him to a polygraph test or something during breakfast.

"I know. It's over now though. No big deal. He was embarrassing for awhile, but I survived middle school while he was still living with us. I can take it." He says.

"So is there anything you wish to tell me? I can't imagine that he would embarrass you this much, if there wasn't a good reason." The dark haired beauty asks.

Sasuke gulps. Damn it. This wasn't good. He had to figure out a way to wiggle out of this situation and fast. He needed an excuse to get out of there.

"Oh look at the time. I have another patient scheduled in five minutes. Sorry, mother. I have to get going. It's rude to keep our patients waiting." He says and scurries off.

Mikoto Uchiha shakes her head as she watches her son dart off. She smiles. Her sons were both rather fast, but they were foolish if they thought they were sneakier than her.

Dr. Love practically flies down the hallway. Maybe that wasn't his brightest idea. CRASH.

He ran straight into someone and fell on top of them. Damn it. This really wasn't his day. First, his mother questions him. Now, he had just run over some innocent person. Could this day get any worse?

"I'm so sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going." Sasuke apologizes.

Oh yes. Yes, it could get worse. It could get much worse.

It was just then that Sasuke realizes he had definitely knocked over a woman. He could feel his hands on her breasts. Of course, her clothes kept this from being too scandalous. Still he idly notes that they were some very nice breasts. Squishy. Definitely natural.

"It's alright." She stammers out and blushes scarlet.

He had just knocked over Hinata! Someone up there hated Sasuke. The doctor was now sure of it. Someone up there really, really hated him.

"Let me help you up. It's the least that I can do, after bulldozing you." He says as he gets off of her and offers Hinata his hand.

"I'm okay. It was just an accident. Other than maybe a few bruises, no harm done." She says shyly.

Hinata was sure that she was blushing redder than she ever had in her entire life. She couldn't believe that Sasuke had accidentally tackled her or where his hands had been. The Hyuga woman knew it was an accident, but still. It wasn't everyday that your boss accidentally groped you.

"I should have watched where I was going. Are you sure that you're alright?" He asks softly and Hinata nods.

She knew it had been an accident. Sasuke might not be blushing, but he was clearly just as flustered as she was. That was a new experience. She had never seen an embarrassed Uchiha before. Before now, she wasn't even sure that they could get flustered. They all seemed too regal for such an emotion.

"Yes, what caused you to run like that? Is someone having a heart attack?" She asks in concern.

Suddenly, Hinata decides to step out of Sasuke's way. She didn't want to prevent him from saving someone's life. This was a hospital. Medical emergencies did happen.

"Oh no. No one is having a heart attack. Well no one that I know of anyway. I was just trying to avoid my mother. She was being nosy. You know how parents can be." He states.

"Ohhh. Well that makes sense. I've never met your mother before though." The blunette muses.

"She's a very sweet and loving woman 99% of the time. It's the other 1% that you have to watch out for. In some ways, she's even more fierce than Itachi is. That's saying something. I swear my brother missed his true calling. He should be in the FBI or CIA." Sasuke states.

He mentally kicks himself. Sasuke knew that he was babbling, but he just couldn't stop. What was wrong with him? He wasn't Naruto. This wasn't like him.

"I see. Well it sounds like it's a good idea to avoid her during that 1% of the time. She sounds lovely though. As for Itachi, I'm sure you are exaggerating." The nurse replies.

Sasuke shakes his head. He definitely wasn't exaggerating. Hinata should be relieved that she had never had to endure one of his Breakfast Inquisitions. Anyway, he supposed that he should be grateful. Hinata wasn't angry with him for accidentally tackling her or annoyed at his babbling.

"I'm not, but that's sweet of you to. I'd like to make it up to you though. You know knocking you over like that. Would you like to have dinner with me before work tomorrow?" He asks.

Hinata blinks. She wasn't entirely sure, but she thought that Sasuke might be asking her out. The bluenette bites her lower lip.

In general, it wasn't a good idea to date your boss. It didn't matter how attractive they were. That was just courting disaster.

Inwardly, she scolds herself for her assumptions. Sasuke was just being nice. This wasn't a date. This was more an apology than anything else.

"I'd like that. Did you have anywhere in mind that you would like to go?" She asks softly.

"Not really. Did you have a favorite place?" He asks.

"There's a café down the street. It has some really great cinnamon rolls." She says shyly.

Sasuke shakes his head in amusement. He should have known that Hinata would prefer something sweet. Still he didn't mind where they ate. He did owe her an apology. If she wanted cinnamon rolls, he'd humor her.

"Alright. Sounds great. Did you want to meet there or for me to pick you up?" He asks.

"It might be better to meet there. I'm still settling in. My home is still filled with unpacked boxes." She admits.

"Alright. How does eight sound?" He asks.

"It sounds great. I'll meet you there. I should probably go see if Sakura needs anything. She always says it's best to ask before you start your normal duties." Hinata informs him and then darts off.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. She was already on a first name basis with Sakura? Well maybe his worries about her not being able to get along with the other nurses were unfounded. It looked like she was holding her own.

* * *

Elsewhere in the hospital, Kabuto was helping Orochimaru with one of his many medical research projects. It was truly a joy to work with such a medical genius. He would never understand why Sasuke held such contempt for Dr. Sannin. The man was one of the best, if not the best, in the field of medical research. Who wouldn't jump at the opportunity to work with him?

"You seem distracted today." Orochimaru notes.

"I suppose I am a bit. Sasuke is being well Sasuke. You know how he can be." He replies with a shrug.

Orochimaru nods "sympathetically." He knew that such a gesture would encourage the silver haired man to continue. It wasn't that he didn't care about finding out what was going on, it was more that Kabuto's grudge against the youngest Uchiha didn't interest him.

Sasuke did interest him though. Unlike his elder brother, who had chosen to go into the business side of the field, Sasuke had become a doctor. A doctor who showed a lot of promise and would have made for an excellent research assistant. It was too bad that Sasuke refused to live up to his true potential really.

"What happened?" Dr. Sannin inquires.

"Well there is a new nurse. She's a pretty little thing. Sasuke threw a fit because I wrapped my arm around her waist. She didn't protest until he showed up. Honestly, I just think she didn't want to make a fool out of her new boss by telling him to get lost. She seems to be the shy type." Kabuto continues.

Hmm that wasn't like Kabuto. Orochimaru had never really known his assistant to make advances towards other members of the staff. He would definitely have to investigate this matter further.

"What is this new nurse's name?" He asks.

"Hinata Hyuga. Yes, I know I was shocked as well. What is a Hyuga doing working? That family is blue blooded to the core." The younger man observes.

That was VERY interesting. Oh yes, he had heard of the Hyugas. They were one of the wealthiest families in the country. It was curious that the Hyuga woman would choose to work, when she clearly didn't have to.

"Do we know anything else about her?" The dark haired man inquires.

"Just that Sasuke seems suspiciously protective of her. I think that he may have feelings for her. That would only make winning her over all the sweeter." The bespectacled man answers.

Orochimaru shakes his head. He could see the impending train wreck. Sasuke did not show interest in women often. When he did, it was usually a rather fleeting one.

He was far from the playboy that his cousin was, but the longest relationship he had ever seen Sasuke in was about six months. As far as Orochimaru could tell, that was due to the fact that the young doctor was perfectionist. So finding the perfect mate was a struggle for him.

"You do realize that it is not wise to deliberately provoke your employer?" He asks in amusement.

Kabuto shrugs. Yes, it might not be wise. Still it didn't really matter. Sasuke had nothing that he could actually fire him for. He had put his hand on Hinata's waist and stopped when she asked him to. It would be a rather flimsy case at best.

The youngest Uchiha wouldn't make a move against him, unless he had a rock solid case. Kabuto knew that much. Sasuke was a cautious man by nature.

"Sasuke, doesn't have anything that is a suitable excuse to fire me. His family owns the hospital, but they do everything by the book. He wouldn't risk firing me yet. He'd be too worried about a lawsuit." Kabuto says with a smirk.

"Kabuto, I would not push your luck. Thus far, you have been rather fortunate. I wouldn't tempt fate. You are far too valuable of an assistant to lose over something that is entirely preventable." Dr. Sannin informs him.

Kabuito was an excellent assistant. That much was true, but Orochimaru knew the value of flattery. If you flattered your underlings enough, they would be very loyal to you. The silver haired doctor was a man who needed his ego fluffed from time to time. Orochimaru didn't mind. It was an investment really.

"You're right of course. Still I wonder if he'll make a move on the pretty little nurse. It would be hilarious to see Dr. Love get rejected." He mutters.

"I still can't believe the nurses give out such foolish nicknames. I have never heard of such a thing before." He chuckles.

The other doctor simply nods his head in agreement. Honestly, who really knew what went on in the minds of the nursing staff? They were all crazy. Well except for Hinata.

* * *

The next day, Sasuke was getting ready to head to the café when his phone rang. He quickly answers it. The last thing that young doctor wanted was to be late to his apology dinner.

"Hey, Sasuke! We are going out for drinks. Do you want to join us?" Naruto asks.

"Naruto, I work the night shift. I can't go out for drinks. I'm not going to show up at the hospital drunk off my ass. Besides, I already have plans. Maybe next time." Sasuke says.

The blonde blinks. Sasuke had plans? That wasn't like him. The man was normally an introvert. If Naruto didn't drag him out, he preferred to stay home most days.

"Plans? With who?" His friend inquires.

"That's really none of your business. I have to get going or I'll be late. I'll talk to you later." Sasuke snaps at him.

"You're worried about being late? Oh man. This is priceless. Bastard, are you going on a date or something?" The other man asks excitedly.

Sasuke twitches. Damn it. Naruto could be annoyingly perceptive sometimes. The sad thing was, Sasuke didn't really know how to answer that question.

"Yes. I mean no! Maybe. I'm not really sure actually. It's a long story." He says with a sigh.

"Well you can tell me all about it, when you get back. Good luck. God knows if anyone needs to get laid, it's you. You are going to have a heart attack before thirty, if you don't slow down and have some fun once in awhile. Hopefully, she's willing to overlook your general bastardlyness." Naruto notes cheerfully.

Oh yeah. Sasuke was definitely going to have to kick the blonde's ass later. He didn't have time right now though.

"Bastardlyness is not even a real word. Goodbye." Sasuke says and quickly hangs up, before heading to the café.

* * *

Elsewhere, Hinata was quietly panicking. She had no idea what she was supposed to wear. She wasn't sure if this was a date or not. So should she dress up, down, or just wear her uniform? The bluenette had no idea.

"Hinata, will you stop pacing so much? What on Earth is wrong?" Neji asks his cousin.

"I'm meeting my boss for dinner in a few minutes and I don't know what to wear." She admits.

Neji raises an eyebrow. He honestly had no idea how to react to such a declaration. Was it a date or just business?

"You know it's not wise to date your boss, if that's what you are doing. That's just asking for trouble. If it's just for work purposes, your uniform should be fine." Neji says.

"Um I'm not sure actually. You see he bumped into me in the hallway and I fell over. He feels guilty about it and is taking me to dinner as an apology." The shy former heiress confesses.

Neji arches an eyebrow. That was a new one. Oh boy. This was a date. A subtle date, but it still counted.

"It's a date then. Why would anyone go through the trouble of taking someone out to dinner, just because they bumped into them in the hallway?" The lavender eyed man reasons.

"Well he is nice. I think he just feels bad. It was a pretty bad crash. I have a few bruises." She mumbles.

Neji considers this. He shakes his head after a moment. No, that still didn't cut it in his view. There was more going on here. Sasuke Uchiha wasn't the type to just ask a woman out because he bumped into her in the hallway and felt guilty.

"I would just treat it as a date until you know differently. Hinata, what have you gotten yourself into? Here wear this one. It's works well for either business or a date." Neji states as he hands her a dress.

It was a white dress that came to just below the knees. It had short sleeves that exposed most of her arms and a sweetheart neckline. It was pure white save for the golden belt.

"Well it is very pretty. Alright. Thank you, Neji." She says with a smile as she slips into the bathroom to change.

"I still don't think this is a good idea. It's never a good idea to become romantically involved with your boss. Though I suppose if you have to, he seems a decent enough sort." Neji says to her.

Hinata comes out a few minutes later. She smiles and gives her cousin a quick hug. She knew that he was just worried about her, but honestly she wasn't a child anymore. She could take care of herself.

"It's just a quick dinner before work. It's not as if he's proposing." Hinata says with a giggle.

"He might after he sees you in that dress. I'm going to get some sleep. I have an odd shift tomorrow." He warns her.

The bluenette nods. Hinata decides it was probably a good idea before Neji could protest further. So that was exactly what she did. It didn't take her long to reach the café and find a table.

* * *

She mentally sighs in relief when Sasuke walked in just a minute or two later. It was 7:55. He had said eight. She was still grateful though. Even a minute could feel like an eternity when you were wondering if you were going to be stood up or not.

"Sasuke." She calls out.

Sasuke hears her and heads over to the former heiress. He pulls out a seat and sits next to her. Clearly, he wasn't anymore sure what to say than she was.

"Hey. Well this seems like a nice place." He offers.

"It is. Their tomato soup is supposed to be really good. I remember that you used to really like tomatoes in high school. I'm not sure if you still do. I mean it was a long time ago." She mumbles embarrassedly and fidgets with her hands.

Sasuke smiles. Some things never changed. Hinata might be able to flip a fully grown man over her shoulder, but she was still adorably awkward. That was something of a relief.

"I still like them. I'm surprised that you would remember something like that though. We didn't exactly know each other that well in high school." He says.

"Naruto and I were close. You two were best friends. We sat at the same table. So I just kinda noticed that you tended to eat a lot of them." She answers.

"That's very observant of you. That's a good quality to have as a nurse." He comments.

If anyone else had told him that they were watching what he ate that closely, he probably would have assumed the worst. He was an young doctor from a wealthy family. Unfortunately, he had had more than his fair share of overly _enthusiastic_ admirers.

He wouldn't say it would be a stretch to say that a few of them technically qualified as stalkers. In particular, there was this one woman who had tried to steal his toothbrush. She had ended up stealing Suigetsu's toothbrush on accident though. (What the Hell she was planning to do with his toothbrush, he didn't know and he didn't want to know).

"Thanks." She says with a sweet smile.

"You're welcome." He replies and they soon take their order.

"So the hospital seems to be doing well? Have you always wanted to be a doctor?" She asks, trying to make conversation.

"Yeah. It is. I never really considered anything else seriously. There was a time when I was convinced that I was going to be a famous athlete. I think most boys went through that phase though. My family has been practicing medicine for as far back as any of us can remember. It's more or less in our blood." He says with a shrug.

Hinata nods. She knew how that was. Her family was similar. The only difference is they tended to end up working for the government in one form or another. A lot of Senators and Governors had been Hyugas. Plenty of Hyugas had also served as Ambassadors or in various president's cabinets.

"I know how that goes. My family wanted me to run for office. I couldn't do it though. I'm not…" She trails off.

"You don't enjoy being in the public eye. I can't blame you." Sasuke offers.

"I've always been too shy for that sort of thing. When they realized that I wasn't cut out to be a politician, they wanted me to marry one. They were very…forceful about it. Something similar happened to Neji and Hanabi. So we all left." Hinata admits.

Sasuke nods to show he was listening. He frowns when he hears that Hinata's family essentially wanted her to be a trophy wife. Honestly, what was wrong with these people?

"You were right to leave. It's not right to try to force someone into a marriage like that. Does your family know what century we are living in?" He asks.

"Oh they know. They are just very old fashioned. It's okay though. We are all happier living on our own anyway. Neji, Hanabi, and I all saved up and got ourselves a house." Hinata continues.

"Neji, he works at the hospital as a paramedic. I'm probably going to need a paramedic, if he finds out that we had dinner together. I remember him as being very protective of you." He notes with amusement.

Hinata giggles. That was an understatement. Neji had scared off almost all of her boyfriends over the years. He was extremely overprotective.

"That's true. It's probably best if he doesn't find out about me and you." She whispers.

Sasuke smiles. He knew that she didn't mean that the way it sounded. The me and you part. Still it was nice to hear her think of them as a unit, even if it was spoken in jest more than anything else.

"Yes, I suppose that's true. As a paramedic, he possesses considerable medical knowledge. I imagine he knows ways to prevent me from ever having children. So I would like to stay on his good side, if at all possible." He says.

"He knows that we went to dinner, but I told him that you invited me as an apology. I think that your ability to procreate should still be intact by the end of the night." She muses.

"Good. Good. I very much prefer everything to be fully _operational."_ Sasuke says with a smirk.


	4. Suitable Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the Uchihas are having fun, Kabuto begins his evil plotting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

A few hours later, Fugaku finds his eldest son, Itachi. Generally, Mikoto took care of Sasuke and he took care of Itachi during times like these. Yes, they had two sons. It worked out rather nicely. They could just divide up the parental interventions. An intervention was apparently necessary in this case.

"Itachi, would you care to tell me what you and your brother discussed at breakfast?" He inquires.

Itachi gulps. It might be phrased casually, but Fugaku Uchiha was anything but casual. He made Itachi look like a cuddly, newborn puppy in comparison. When he asked you a question, you had better answer. Otherwise, things would get unpleasant for you and quickly.

"Well I suspect that it may be too early to discuss such things." The Hospital Administrator replies cautiously.

Oh he was never physically abusive. Fugaku had ways of making people talk though. He'd never raise a hand to either of his children, but he would employ psychological warfare.

"Itachi, if you do not immediately inform me about what happened, I will release your baby pictures all over the Internet." The Uchiha Patriarch threatens him.

"You wouldn't!" His son protests.

"I would and I will, if you do not tell me what happened. Now, I suggest you make things easier for yourself and start talking." Fugaku says firmly.

Itachi sighs. Damn it. He was so not going to deal with his baby pictures being plastered all over the Internet.

"Alright. I think Sasuke has a bit of a crush on the new nurse. Kabuto behaved inappropriately towards her and Sasuke reacted more strongly than expected." He answers.

"Of course he reacted strongly. We shouldn't tolerate that type of thing here. What did Kabuto do?" The elder Uchiha demands.

"Oh he placed his hand on her waist. Unfortunately, it'd be difficult to fire him. He did remove his hand, when she asked. I doubt she would have, if Sasuke wasn't there. Hinata tends to avoid conflict when possible." Itachi tells him.

Fugaku frowns. He certainly didn't like it. He quickly makes a mental note to watch the silver haired doctor more closely from now on. This news was most distressing. He didn't want his staff to feel uncomfortable.

"So you think that he likes Hinata. Well she seems like a sweet girl and who hasn't had a few naughty nurse fantasies here and there?" He asks.

"…" Itachi is speechless.

He was now moderately traumatized to know more about his father's sexual preferences than he ever wanted to know. Itachi couldn't believe that Fugaku had actually said that. How could he say something like that in front of him?!

"Oh don't look at me that way. You know that it's true. In any case, I shall monitor Kabuto's behavior and keep your mother abreast of the situation." Fugaku continues.

"I don't know if it's a good idea to tell mother. You know how much she wants grandchildren. She'll try to play matchmaker and they are barely in the flirtation stage, if that." The young Uchiha warns him.

Fugaku considers that. Itachi may have a valid point there. If the relationship was still new, Mikoto might try to push things too quickly. Hmm. What to do?

"Well almost every woman wants grandchildren. You can hardly blame her for that. While we are on the subject, are you certain that you should be giving your brother love advice. You are also a bachelor." His father notes with a chuckle.

"By choice. If I wanted to get married and settle down at the moment, I would easily be able to do so." Itachi notes smugly.

The Uchiha Patriarch shakes his head in amusement. Well his sons certainly didn't lack confidence. Then again, why should they? They were Uchihas.

"Well perhaps I shall stress that caution is necessary when giving them a helpful push." Fugaku muses.

"I know that you don't believe that mother is capable of being subtle when it comes to matchmaking." Itachi says.

"Mikoto can be quite the sneaky woman, when she wants to be. How do you think that we ended up together in the first place?" He inquires.

Itachi blinks. He wasn't sure that he wanted to know. Wait. On second thought, he definitely didn't want to know. He was already still traumatized by that sexy nurse comment.

"I don't want to know. We should get going though. The hospital isn't going to run itself." Itachi states and the two men walk off to perform their respective duties.

* * *

"Nurse, can you hand me the stethoscope?" Sasuke asks Hinata a few minutes later.

"Of course, Dr. Love." She replies without thinking about it.

This was much to the amusement of their patient. A middle aged woman who just started laughing. Hinata feels her face heat up.

"You do make a lovely couple." She says between laughs.

"It's just a nickname the nurses gave me. You should hear what they call some of the other doctors. Believe me, I got off lucky." Sasuke mutters as he checks the woman's heart rate.

The woman giggles and nods. Hinata was glad that she was just giggling. She had never been more embarrassed. The bluenette couldn't believe that had just slipped out.

Maybe it was okay though. Sasuke had made that crack about everything being fully operational. He might not care that she had slipped up. Either way, it was so embarrassing.

"Well your heart rate is good. Laughter really is the best medicine. Do you have any concerns that you would like to talk about?" The Uchiha asks.

"No, I feel fine. _Dr. Love."_ The woman replies with a giggle.

"Wonderful. We'll see you in six months. Have a nice day." Sasuke says and the patient heads off.

Hinata was sure that her face was redder than a tomato at this point. Oh dear God. How was she ever going to be able to look her boss in the eye again after that?

"Hinata, it's fine. It was just a slip of the tongue. No real harm done. Besides, if you can forgive me for running you over, I can forget about that small mistake." Sasuke assures her with a small shrug.

"Okay. I really am sorry though. I didn't mean to embarrass you in front of your patient." She mumbles.

Sasuke shakes his head in amusement. He knew that Hinata didn't mean to do it. He would have preferred not to be giggled at by a patient, but he'd get over it. Though he was wondering just how red her face could get at the moment.

"It's alright. Don't worry about it. It would be a good idea for you to ignore anything my brother says about me though. Itachi is Itachi. He likes to meddle." The youngest Uchiha warns her.

Hinata blinks. The former heiress wasn't sure what Sasuke meant by that. He had warned her about Itachi being CIA/FBI like before though.

"Should I be nervous?" The bluenette asks in a voice barely above a whisper.

"I don't think so. He just likes to embarrass me. That's all. It's what big brothers do." Sasuke states.

"Oh. I wouldn't now. I only have a little sister." Hinata replies.

Sasuke casts an envious look at Hinata. She had no idea how lucky she was. Sometimes it truly sucked to be the 'baby' of the family. It just gave everyone license to 'help' you. (Usually by embarrassing the hell out of you).

"You're lucky then. You can take your break now. I have to check in with my parents anyway. They are going to want to see my patient log." He states as he heads off.

Hinata lets out a sigh of relief. That could have ended in complete disaster. Thank goodness that Sasuke had a sense of humor. She vows to watch what she said more carefully. She didn't want another embarrassing incident like that to happen again.

* * *

Meanwhile back at Neji, Hinata, and Hanabi's house, a certain Hyuga genius was doing some snooping. Yes, Neji was performing a background check online. No one got near his cousin without being vetted.

"Neji, what are you doing?" Hanabi asks.

"Oh just some research." He replies smoothly and tries to hide the screen from her view.

Hanabi raises an eyebrow. Her cousin was clearly up to something and she was going to find out what it was. She walks over and looks at the screen. A background checking site?

"Neji, who are you snooping on?" She demands and crosses her arms.

Damn it. Hanabi would be like a dog with a bone now. Once the young woman got an idea into her head, there was no getting it out of there. He sighs and decides, it was probably better just to fess up.

"Sasuke Uchiha." The lavender eyed man answers honestly.

"You mean Hinata's boss? The doctor that she's working with? Why are you spying on him? Did something happen?" The young woman asks.

Hanabi wouldn't let anyone hurt her big sister. She had already been through enough with their crazy family. If this guy was harassing her, she would kick his ass.

"Yes, Hinata's boss. Yes, he's the doctor that is working with her. I don't think anything is happening yet. Though I suspect they may wind up dating. That's why it's imperative to ensure that he is a suitable match for her. We don't want Hinata to get in over her head." He says firmly.

"You're background checking a doctor? Um Neji, I think that's kinda going overboard. If he had done anything illegal, I doubt the they would have let him keep his medical license." The younger Hyuga points out.

Neji shakes his head. One could never be too careful. That was his motto. It was probably the only reason he had survived his childhood with his sanity intact. Hyugas were perfectionists to the core.

"Yes, I am background checking a doctor. Don't you dare tell Hinata about this. If you do, I won't take you clothing shopping this weekend." He informs her.

Hanabi gulps. That just wasn't fair. Well she supposed it didn't really matter. It wasn't like Neji was going to find anything on the hot doctor anyway. Honestly, he was being rather silly in her opinion.

"That wasn't fair." She pouts.

"It might not have been fair, but it was effective." Neji tells her with a smirk.

Hanabi couldn't argue with that. She loved shopping. It was way more fun now that the rest of their family wasn't monitoring ever purchase they made too.

"Well if she really does have a thing for her boss, we should probably get Hinata something nice while we are out. Maybe some lingerie." She says with a smile.

"HANABI!" The young man exclaims in outrage at such a scandalous suggestion.

"What? I'm just saying that he might like it and we should surprise Hinata with something nice." Hanabi continues on as if she had been discussing whether or not they should have a picnic.

Neji shakes his head. Only Hanabi would ever dream up such a deviant suggestion. She truly did believe in fairytales, though with a fair naughtier twist than he was really comfortable with.

She was far too young to be thinking about such things. In his opinion, Hanabi shouldn't even be thinking about boys until she was at least 30. Hinata was an exception. He knew that his other cousin wasn't as wild as Hanabi. Hinata was less likely to get into trouble.

* * *

Back at the hospital, Hinata had just finished her break and headed back to Sasuke's office. It didn't take long for the youngest Uchiha to join her. He smiles.

"There. That should keep them busy for awhile. So are you going to the Halloween office party?" He asks.

"There's a party?" Hinata replies in surprise at this revelation.

"Of course there is. It's Shisui's favorite holiday. He loves hamming it up and seeing the nurses in their costumes. I assume you've met him by now?" Sasuke inquires with a smirk.

Now it was Hinata's turn to giggle. Oh yes, she had. The others weren't kidding when they said he was a flirt. Still she got the impression it was all rather harmless, especially when compared to Kabuto.

"I'll have to get a costume, but I would love to come. It sounds like it will be fun. Have you decided what you are going to be yet?" The bluenette asks.

"I have. But I can't tell you. That would take all the fun out of it. Maybe you can help me pass out some candy to the hospital bound patients later on." He suggests.

Hinata nods. She knew that some hospitals did that during Halloween. They passed out candy to trick or treaters and gave some to patients. It was a fairly widespread practice really.

"I'd love to. I didn't know you liked sweets." She muses.

"I make an exception for Halloween. Besides, half of it is chocolate anyway." He observes.

That was true. About half of the candy, she ever got on Halloween was chocolate. Oh she wondered if there would be any popcorn balls. Those were always fun.

"Are we going to put up any decorations for the party?" Hinata asks.

"Have you met my mother? Yeah, there are going to be lots of decorations.

* * *

A few days later, Hinata found out exactly what Sasuke meant. She blinks. Somehow Mikoto and her army of minions had completely transformed the hospital in less than a week. Now it looked like the inside of a fairytale castle.

"Mikoto." Fugaku says.

"Yes, My Love?" Mikoto asks and twirls around in her baby blue princess gown complete with a tiara.

"What did you do to our hospital?" Her husband asks.

Mikoto smiles. She kisses his cheek. He'd get into the holiday spirit soon enough. She knew he would.

"I decorated it for the party." She says happily and was clearly quite pleased with her own cleverness.

"You essentially completely remodeled it. How are we ever going to get it back to normal afterwards?" He asks.

Mikoto shrugs. Everything was removable. He didn't need to know that though. It was fun to see him fret sometimes. She wouldn't be cruel though. She'd let him know that…eventually.

"Don't worry about anything. Come. Dance with me." She says and offers him her hand to the 'police officer.'

"Are they always like that?" Hinata asks with a giggle at Sasuke.

"Pretty much, yeah. My mother has him wrapped around her finger. No one else would dare talk to him like that." Sasuke muses.

Sasuke had decided to go traditional. He was dressed as a vampire. He smirks when he saw Hinata's costume. She was an angel.

"I thought you were going to get a costume?" He asks.

"What do you mean? I did." Hinata says as she gestures to her silver halo, white fluffy wings on her back, and the pale blue dress/robe she was wearing.

"You're an angel every day. It's very pretty, but not much of a costume in that respect." Sasuke tells her.

Shisui chuckles. Well that was actually rather smooth by Sasuke standards. He gestures for Itachi to look over at Hinata and Sasuke.

"He learned from the best." Shisui whispers proudly.

Itachi just shakes his head at his cousin's antics. Silly Shisui. If Sasuke had learned from the best, it was clearly him. Oh well. If Shisui wanted to delude himself into believing that he was the Casanova of the family, he supposed he could humor him.

"Of course he did." Itachi muses.

"OWE! Naruto, you are stepping on my feet." Sakura says as she dances with the blonde.

Sakura had dressed up as a zombie bride and Naruto was her zombie groom. Sasuke smirks. Naruto was good at many things. Dancing just had never been one of them.

"What are you smirking about, bastard?! You think you can do better?" Naruto demands.

"Oh I KNOW that I can do better than that. Hinata, would you like to help me prove it?" He asks.

"Um sure?" She answers before being lead to the dance floor.

Mikoto smiles as she wraps her arms around Fugaku's neck. She glances at Sasuke and Hinata. They just looked so adorable together.

"I know what you are thinking. I already talked to Itachi about it. It is our opinion that any meddling should be measured at this point. They are still in the beginning stages of their relationship and we don't' want to push them too hard." He whispers in her ear.

"Am I that obvious?" She asks with a pout as Fugaku dances with her.

"A little. Mostly it is because I know you though. We have been married for over thirty years." He reminds her as he twirls his wife around.

Mikoto giggles. Well that was most certainly true. She enjoys the twirl and decides to be patient for now. Though if she saw a good opportunity to meddle, she most certainly was going to take it.

"Have you ever danced before?" Sasuke asks Hinata.

"Sasuke, I'm a Hyuga. I was taught to dance almost immediately after I could walk." She informs him.

Sasuke blinks. Hmm that was surprisingly feisty by Hinata standards. He laughs and spins her around.

"Good to know. What else did they teach you in that house of horrors?" The young doctor asks.

"You don't want to know. The lessons were endless. It was particularly important to know which fork was the proper one to use at state dinners." The bluenette says as she spins underneath him.

Sasuke felt a flash of pity for the beautiful nurse underneath his arm. He likely would have gone crazy long before he was old enough to move out. Truly, he had no idea how she had put up with it, for as long as she had. Hinata must have the patience of a saint, he muses.

"Did you ever learn which was the proper fork to use or did you fail that lesson?" He asks.

"I'll have you know that I passed all my charm lessons, but now I can use whatever utensil I want. It's really liberating." Hinata says with a sly smile.

"Oh I imagine it is. Itachi generally doesn't bother with any utensils unless it's soup or something like that. He prefers to use his bare hands." Sasuke contributes.

Hinata laughs. It was hard to imagine the elegant elder Uchiha brother as having anything less than impeccable table manners. Her family would have lost it, if she had ever done such a thing.

"The barbarian. They would have put him in the stocks." She replies n amusement.

"Did your family actually have stocks? They are so old fashioned, that it's not completely outside the realm of possibility." Her partner questions her.

"I don't think they had stocks. Then again, I was a good girl. So they didn't have to use them, if they had them." She replies.

Sasuke chuckles at that explanation. He had no doubt that she had been a very good girl around her family. You couldn't be anything else when you were part of that family.

"Well sometimes it's fun to be bad. I imagine they would be very scandalized to find out that their innocent angel was dancing with a vampire." He muses.

"Oh yes, quite scandalized." Hinata agrees.

* * *

Kabuto shakes his head as he leans against the wall by the punch bowl. Honestly, he would have thought Sasuke would be at least somewhat more original. A vampire? Really?

"Kabuto, if you continue to glare at them in such a way, they are bound to notice." Orochimaru chides him.

Kabuto was dressed as ghost. Orochimaru was dressed as well, Kabuto wasn't really sure what his mentor was supposed to be. Some sort of giant snake.

"I can't help it. They are so ridiculously sweet, that I fear I may get cavities." He mutters in disgust.

Orochimaru shakes his head. He would really prefer it, if Kabuto didn't get himself fired over his spat with the youngest Uchiha. It was dreadfully hard to find suitable lab assistants.

"I would just leave them be. That is a nice ghost costume by the way. Drowning victim?" He asks.

It was a ghost costume, but it was original. Kabuto hadn't just thrown a sheet over his head. He had applied a lot of makeup to give himself an almost transparent appearance. Some of the makeup was blue, purple, and gray to mirror what a drowning victim might look like.

"Yes, a drowning victim. What are you supposed to be?" He asks.

"Oh that's quite simple. A Hydra. I wanted to come dressed as something no one else was going to go as." Dr. Sannin replies.

It was a giant purple snake costume with three heads. Kabuto mentally slaps himself. Of course it was a Hydra. What other snake had more than one head?

"Did you make it yourself?" The silver haired doctor as in a desperate attempt to distract himself from watching the "happy couple."

"Yes, I made it myself. I find that produces far better results than buying something. Have a drink and enjoy yourself. There are plenty of other pretty nurses for you to chase after." He muses.

Kabuto pours himself a drink and sighs. To Hell with that. He might have initially been attracted to Hinata for her looks, but now it was personal. Now it was about denying the Uchiha something. For once, he was going to get the upper hand over _Dr. Love._

The bespectacled man had had it with the way the female members of the staff would fawn over him. It was quite frankly sickening. He was tired of being considered second best, whenever Sasuke was around.

No, he was going to beat Sasuke in at least one area. Romance. He just needed to come up with a suitable plan in order do that. That was all. Kabuto was certain that he would manage it. After all, he was a genius.


	5. The Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Halloween party brings Hinata and Sasuke closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I don't know how quickly I'll be able to update, but I have no intention of abandoning this story. Anyway, I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

_This might not have been a good idea_ , Sasuke muses to himself. Itachi already thought that he liked Hinata. Dancing with her at the Halloween party, would only further 'prove' his point.

Well he did like her. She was beautiful, kind, and surprisingly good at self-defense. He smirks as he remembers her throwing him over her shoulder and onto the grass.

"What are you smirking about?" Hinata asks curiously.

"Just thinking that it's amusing how fearsome an angel can be when she wants to be. I was remembering when you threw me onto the grass. Kabuto had better watch himself." He admits.

He should have lied. Sasuke shouldn't have told her that. Still the words tumbled out of his mouth, completely unbidden. It was like she was human truth serum or something. Really, it was just impossible to lie to her.

"I don't want to fight anyone. I'd rather have him just leave me alone, but you're right. I would, if I had to." She mumbles.

"You don't have to though. You're safe here. He's just a bit of a deviant, but we wouldn't have anyone truly dangerous working at this hospital. Honestly, I've never seen him do that before. Maybe he just has an angel fetish." Sasuke says with a shrug as he twirls his dancing partner around.

Hinata smiles. She believed him when he said that. It was hard not to feel safe, when you had a vampire for a "date," she supposed.

"Thank you. Your parents are staring at us." She whispers into his ear.

"Everyone is staring at you, not me. Ignore them. They mean well, but you know how mothers are. They love nothing more than to meddle in their kids' love lives." The raven haired doctor whispers back.

* * *

Fugaku shakes his head at his wife. He had no idea what she was trying to pull out of her pocket, but he knew that she was up to something. Once you had been married to someone for over a quarter of a century, you just knew these things.

"Whatever it is, no." He says firmly.

"You don't even know what I was going to do." Mikoto protests with an adorable pout.

"I know that you were plotting something. No. Bad Mikoto. Be a good princess." He tells her.

Hmpf. Be a good princess? Not very likely. Besides, it was Halloween. You were supposed to cause mischief. That was the entire point of the holiday. If her lover thought that she was going to be a well behaved soccer mom tonight, well he was clearly out of his mind.

"I was just going to take some pictures of the occasion." The dark beauty continues.

Fugaku raises an eyebrow. He wasn't certain what that had to do with plotting. He just knew that it did. Mentally, he tries to figure out what his beautiful, devious wife was up to. The Uchiha Patriarch was honestly drawing a blank though. Hmm.

"Oh alright. That's standard at an event like this. Just don't embarrass the boy too much." He says after thinking it over.

"My love, you wound me with your suspicious nature. It's almost as if you do not trust me." Mikoto says.

Oh he trusted her. He'd trust her with his life, but he also knew his wife. Fugaku knew that look upon her face. Mikoto Uchiha was most certainly up to something. He just wasn't sure what it was exactly.

"I trust you, but I'm not an idiot. You have a rather sneaky expression adorning your beautiful face at the moment." He points out.

Mikoto does a hair flip as she saunters over to her youngest son. The middle aged man raises an eyebrow. He had no idea how a grown woman could somehow make a juvenile gesture like a hair flip look regal. She just did. Now he REALLY knew she was plotting something.

* * *

"Sasuke, Hinata, come take some pictures with everyone." Mikoto instructs them cheerfully.

"Oh alright." Hinata replies with a smile.

Sasuke shrugs. He follows his mother. The Uchiha Matriarch was getting everyone to stand by the wall. The youngest Uchiha had no idea what was about to hit him.

"Alright. I want everyone to get really into their costumes! Ham it up." Mikoto says.

Oh so THAT was her game. Wait. She couldn't be serious. Did she want Sasuke to bite Hinata or something?

"What do you want me to bite her?" Sasuke asks in confusion.

"Oh not actually bite, just you know make it look like you are. It's all in good fun. Only if Hinata is okay with it of course." She says.

Itachi raises an eyebrow. His mother was crazy. Brilliant, but crazy. That's when he notices Kabuto glaring daggers at his brother. Oh he could deal with Mikoto's meddling later. Kabuto just put himself on the top of Itachi's hit list.

"Well I g-guess it's okay. I mean it's not like he's actually biting me." Hinata stammers out.

Sasuke shakes his head. His mother was clearly trying to play matchmaker. Hinata seemed okay with it though. So he decides it was harmless as he brushes his lips against her creamy neck and makes sure his fake fangs were visible.

They did look rather realistic. Sasuke was proud of himself for finding them. No cheap plastic fangs for him. No sir! Uchihas did Halloween in style! Thank you very much.

"Perfect!" The mother of two chimes merrily as she begins snapping the first picture.

* * *

Kabuto felt himself twitch. Well if the Uchiha Matriarch wanted them to act in character, he could do that. He was a ghost. He gets behind Sasuke and makes a rather menacing face and raises his hand at him.

Mikoto blinks. She decides Kabuto was just play acting though. She snaps another picture.

"Whoa. Kabuto, you might be getting just a little too into this." Shisui says.

Shisui had dressed himself up as a cowboy. While perhaps not the most original costume, it was certainly gaining a more than a few appreciative glances from the female members of the staff. He pulls out his play gun and aims it at Kabuto warningly.

"You idiot. He's a ghost. A gun wouldn't do anything." Orochimaru admonishes him.

"Orochimaru, stop being so mean. Shisui was only playing." Ino protests.

Orochimaru raises an eyebrow. Stop being so mean? What did that ditzy blonde think this was middle school or something? Honestly, children these days could be so annoying. He wondered how they even managed to dress themselves sometimes.

"I am just pointing out an obvious fact. A bullet won't do anything to a ghost." He insists.

"That would be of course, assuming that ghosts existed at all. They do not. So that renders this entire conversation moot." Fugaku reasons.

"What? You don't believe in ghosts?! I swear one at Pervy Sage's house once!" Naruto insists.

Sasuke shakes his head. This was going to get annoying. He gestures towards the door at Hinata. The bluenette was smart enough to decode this and swiftly heads off with Dr. Love.

* * *

"I'm sorry about that. They can get a little eccentric when it comes to office parties." Sasuke apologizes.

"Oh it's not your fault. It was fun. It just got a little out of control is all. Where are we going?" She asks.

"We can hand out some candy to patients and then check back to see if they have worn themselves out yet. If not, we can head home. Well if you like." Sasuke tells her as he takes her hand and leads her off to the cafeteria to grab some of the holiday candy.

Hinata nods. She follows Sasuke. They quickly grab the candy and head off to give it to the patients.

The Hyuga woman smiles as she hands some of the treats to the children in the hospital. It gave her something else to focus on. Something besides the feeling of Sasuke's lips against the bare skin of her neck.

"Are you cold? You look like you are shivering." Sasuke asks.

"Oh maybe a little. I guess it is a bit nippy." The bluenette replies.

She really hoped that she wasn't blushing. Hinata hated how easily she could blush. It was her tell really.

"You can borrow my cape, if you want. Though I suppose it would clash with your costume." Sasuke offers.

"Oh no. That's kind of you to offer, but it's not necessary." Hinata replies with a shy smile.

"Alright. If you're sure." The youngest Uchiha says as he continues passing out candy to patients.

* * *

They spent probably a half hour or so doing this. Dr. Love decides that was probably enough time. The twosome walk back towards the party. Both of them shake their heads at what they saw.

Yes, they were still hamming it up and bickering. Sasuke sighs dramatically and walks over to his father. He whispers something into Fugaku's ear, that Hinata couldn't hear.

"I'm going to give Hinata a ride home. She's not used to so many boisterous personalities. Tell mother not to worry." He says as he walks back to his "date."

"Of course." Fugaku says as he watches his son sneak off with the young nurse.

Hmm. Speaking of nurses, he wondered if Mikoto would agree to play dress up for a night. Her old uniform would probably still fit.

"What did Sasuke want?" Mikoto asks her husband as she saunters over to him.

"Oh he's just going to give Hinata a ride home. The party was a bit much for her. I suppose we were all getting rather boisterous. She's not used to it. You know how low key Hyugas are." He says with a shrug.

"Mmm yes, I'm aware. Poor girl. I hope she's okay." His wife replies.

Fugaku assures Mikoto that she would be. Hinata was in good hands after all. Sasuke wouldn't let anything happen to one of their staff members. He smiles and leads her back to the dance floor.

* * *

"Where do you live?" Sasuke asks, a few minutes later once they were in the hospital parking lot.

"Oh just a couple blocks down. I usually just walk to work." Hinata tells him.

Sasuke shakes his head. Yeah. That was not happening. He wasn't going to let a sexy angel walk home, alone. This was especially true on Halloween. He didn't care that it was only a couple blocks. He'd drive her.

"Alright. So you don't have to worry about your car then." Sasuke says as he opens the door of his car.

"No." Hinata confirms as she gets inside.

Sasuke nods. He quickly gets in the car and buckles up. He reaches over and helps Hinata with her seat belt. The seat belts could be rather temperamental.

He smirks when he saw her blush. The young doctor wasn't even really touching her. Hinata was really just that shy. She was adorable.

"Good. So if you give me the directions, I'll just give you a quick lift home." He tells her.

Hinata nods. The bluenette directs him towards her home. Not long after, they arrived at the nurse's house. Sasuke walks her to her door. Yeah that might not have been his best idea. The clouds that had been threatening to unleash a storm all day, finally released the torrent of rain that they had been holding back.

"Do you want to come inside? I mean it's probably not safe to drive in this and I'm sure it will taper off soon." Hinata inquires.

"Thanks. Yeah. You're right. It's not safe to drive on roads like that." Sasuke says as lightning flashes in the distance and the sound of thunder can be heard.

The two dart inside Hinata's house to get outside of the rain. Sasuke shuts the door behind them and sighs in relief. Damn. They had only been standing outside for a minute or so and they were already soaked.

Dr. Love decides someone up there was seriously deciding to test how much self-control he had. Hinata's costume was now clinging to her skin a way that left very little to the imagination. (And Sasuke prided himself on having a Hell of an imagination).

"I'm going to go change out of this. Neji and Hanabi are probably still at the party. So I think it's just us. If you want, I don't think Neji would mind if you borrowed something of his that was drier." She says.

Oh yeah. He was definitely being tested. He was alone with a soaked curvaceous angel. That just wasn't fair. How was he supposed to be a gentleman? Well a gentle-vamp, in this case.

"Sounds good. I'll return, whatever I borrow. I promise." Sasuke assures her.

"I know you will. Neji can be very protective of his clothes. I wouldn't want to be you, if you "forgot" to give them back." The bluenette says with a giggle as she heads upstairs.

He decides to look around. Hinata had given him permission to borrow some of Neji's clothes. Sasuke figured he might as well take her up on that offer. He was soaked to the bone.

"This will work." He says after awhile once he arrived in a bedroom and found a closet.

It was a long sleeved white shirt and dark blue silk pants. If nothing else, Neji certainly had good fashion sense. He vaguely knew the paramedic of course. He just didn't see him much. Neji brought the patients in. Sasuke dealt with them once they were inside the hospital.

"He probably isn't going to be too happy about me "biting" his cousin tonight, though." Sasuke muses as he changes.

* * *

Elsewhere in the house, Hinata was back in her room. She sets about finding something suitable to wear. In the end she decides on a white t-shirt and some blue jeans. This was after all, a rather casual occasion. She didn't want to dress too professionally or too sexily.

Naturally, she goes to find Sasuke. She eeps when she gets an eyeful of a shirtless Sasuke. At least he had managed to change into his pants already. Otherwise she probably would have fainted and she never would have gotten over her embarrassment of walking in on him.

"Hinata, it's alright No different than if you saw me at the beach." Sasuke says with a chuckle.

"I guess you're right. I'm still really sorry." She mumbles.

"It's fine. It looks like the rain isn't going to let up anytime soon though." He mutters as he looks outside the window.

Hinata glances outside as well. Sasuke wasn't kidding. This had to be the worst storm that she had ever seen. There was no way that she could let him drive home at that.

"We could watch a movie or something, while we wait for it to clear up." Hinata suggests.

"Sounds good to me." He says as he follows her into the living room and sits on the couch.

Honestly, he had a very sexy nurse all alone. There was a certain kind of movie that would work very well in this situation. He generally filed it under the genre of adult entertainment.

Of course, he wasn't cruel enough to actually say that out loud. Hinata had been so flustered over seeing him shirtless. She definitely wasn't ready for THAT.

"I figure since it's Halloween, we should watch a Halloween movie. I've never seen this one. Neji got it last week." The bluenette explains.

"Works for me." Sasuke replies.

Truthfully, he didn't think that the shy nurse would react well to what was clearly a horror movie. Still he knew that it was a bad idea to judge a book by its cover. Maybe it would turn out that she really liked those kinds of movies.

What movie they would watch, made little difference to Sasuke at this point. He was far more interested in the view of the beautiful woman sitting next to him, than whatever was going to be playing on the tv. Besides, it was her home. She should get to choose what they watched. It was only fair.

"AHHH!" Hinata cries out fearfully a few minutes later and jumps into Sasuke's lap.

It was an old move. Show the girl you liked a horror movie and she'd cuddle up to you. Well there was a reason why it was an old move, it was effective.

"Hinata, it's just a movie." He tells her and wraps his arms around the startled young woman.

Sasuke suddenly found himself a lot more positively inclined towards horror movies. Hey, if they got a sexy nurse to sit in his lap, he wasn't going to argue with that. Nope. He wasn't stupid.

"I know. It's just that was a really realistic looking zombie." She mumbles.

"Well no zombies are going to get you here. It's just a movie." He repeats.

Hinata nods. She cuddles into Sasuke's hold. She knew that she was being silly. The young doctor was absolutely right. Still it was nice to be held like this and it had been a really scary and gruesome scene!

"Well we can always watch a different movie, if you like." Sasuke suggests.

"Maybe that would be better." Hinata agrees.

That's when her landline phone suddenly rang. Hinata crawls off his lap and goes to answer it. The Hyuga woman thought that it might be Neji or Hanabi checking up on her. She was really.

She was really wrong. It was Kabuto. How the Hell had he gotten her number?! That was more than a little disturbing.

"Hello, Hinata. I just wanted to make sure that you got home alright. That is quite the storm going on outside. I noticed that you and Sasuke had ducked out early. I hope you didn't get caught up in the rain." Kabuto says.

"We're fine. How did you get my number?!" The nurse demands.

"Oh it's listed in your employee file, under emergency contacts. We have those lists in case of situations like this. It's very useful." He tells her.

Hinata didn't particularly care for that. It made sense, but still. The bluentte decides it would be best to change her number as soon as possible. She definitely wasn't going to put up with anymore calls like this.

"Hinata, are you alright?" Sasuke asks when he notices that his date suddenly seemed suspiciously tense.

This time, he didn't think it was because of the movie. Something else was going on. Something big. Whatever it was, it had frightened the poor woman pretty badly.

"I'm fine, Sasuke." She lies and Sasuke raises an eyebrow.

The angel had to be the worse liar on the planet. He didn't believe that for one minute. Her body language and force definitely did not match up with her words. Hinata was not by any stretch of the imagination, fine.

"Sasuke? Is he still with you? But this is your landline. That would mean he's in your house." Kabuto says when he hears Hinata call out Sasuke's name.

"That's really none of your business. I'm fine. Thank you for checking in on me. But I'm perfectly safe." She says.

Someone was checking on her? It couldn't be Neji or Hanabi. Hinata wouldn't be this snappy with them. Sasuke strides over to the nurse to see what the fuck was going on.

"Hinata, whose on the phone?" He asks.

"Kabuto. He got my number of the emergency contacts information." Hinata reluctantly admits.

She really didn't want to tell Sasuke that, but she was realistic enough to know that he was going to find out anyway. It was better to be honest. The bluenette could only hope that this wasn't going to cause a major scene.

"May I please have the phone?" Dr. Love asks.

Hinata shivers. She recognized that tone instinctively. Sasuke was furious. His even tone held more than a little steel to it. He was going to tear into Kabuto and they both knew it.

"I'm not sure if that's a good idea. I don't want any fights to happen." She stammers.

"Hinata, I'm just going to talk to the man. He's not even in the same room as me. Nothing's going to happen." Sasuke assures her.

The Hyuga woman considers this. With the greatest hesitation imaginable, she hands Sasuke the phone. It was probably better to have him speak to Kabuto over the phone anyway.

If he confronted the silver haired man in person, it wouldn't be pretty. She shutters as she imagines that confrontation. Yeah. This was probably better.

"Kabuto, you know that was an abuse of authority. How dare you use personal information like that just because there was a rainstorm. I know what you are doing. Knock it off. She isn't interested." Sasuke snaps at him.

Hinata blinks. Uh oh. She was suddenly reminded of an animal documentary she had once seen. Two lions had been fighting over a female and it had gotten pretty brutal. Sasuke was definitely roaring at Kabuto.

"Tsk. Tsk. Sasuke, you really shouldn't use such language in front of a lady. What would your mother think? Besides, I was only concerned for her safety. That's what the emergency contact list is for. So I fail to understand why you are behaving so aggressively towards me." The other doctor replies.

"Oh I think you do understand. It's not funny, Kabuto. If you keep this up, you will be fired. One day, you are going to run out of plausible deniability. Just give me a reason. I dare you." He hisses.

Hinata winces. Oh yeah. This was bad. This was very bad. She was probably going to have to step in here, before things got worse. The Hyuga woman just wasn't sure of how to do that.

"Sasuke, it's alright. Just hang up on him. We are under no obligation to keep talking to Kabuto outside of work." Hinata says.

Kabuto frowns when he overhears that. It looked like Doctor Love already had his hooks pretty firmly into the pretty little nurse. She was looking for an excuse to hang up and had invited him inside her house?

This just simply wouldn't do at all. He was going to have to act quickly, if he wanted any chance at all. For the moment though, a tactical retreat was his best course of action.

"I apologize. I did not mean to startle you, Nurse Hyuga. I was only worried for your safety. I shall bid you good night. Please do stay safe." He says.

"Good night, Kabuto." Hinata says as she hangs up the phone.

"He is such a freak. I'm going to report him." Sasuke mutters.

"Sasuke, what are you going to say? You want him to be fired for making a phone call to ensure that I didn't get caught in the rain?" The bluenette asks.

Sasuke sighs. Hinata had a point. It still pissed him off though. God, how he would love to strangle that idiot.

"You're right. I don't' think he's going to knock it off though. If he bugs you, let me know. I will take care of it." Sasuke promises.

"That's really sweet. I hope it doesn't come to that though." Hinata mumbles.

"Me too." Sasuke agrees and sighs, knowing that it likely would come to that anyway.


	6. A Lesson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Sasuke and Hinata continue to grow closer, they encounter their first challenges as a couple: Hinata's father and Kabuto's plotting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I'm sorry that this one hasn't been updated in forever. I'm not entirely sure how quickly or slowly this will be updated, but I have every intention of finishing it. Happy reading.

"Hinata, do you want me to stay with you until Neji and Hanabi arrive?" Sasuke asks once they had dealt with Kabuto's phone call.

"You don't have to. I don't think he's willing to risk breaking and entering." She mumbles.

Sasuke shakes his head. He would have agreed with her, yesterday. Unfortunately, Doctor Love wasn't so certain that he did agreed with her today. Kabuto had been acting very odd lately, even for Kabuto.

"I don't mind staying. If he's obsessed enough to look up your number, it might be a good idea. I don't want to scare you, but I think this is getting out of hand." The raven haired man says.

Hinata bit her lower lip. Sasuke did have a point. She couldn't believe that the other doctor had actually gone through the trouble of looking through her files! It was getting a little bit scary.

"Maybe. I mean…they should be home soon. They are probably just staying at the hospital until the storm lets up." The bluenette concedes.

"Probably. Don't worry. Nothing's going to happen to you. I promise." Sasuke tells her.

* * *

A few hours later, they had fallen asleep. That storm had finally let up. What they didn't expect was to be awoken by the sound of someone knocking on the door.

Sasuke stirs from his slumber first. He smiles down at the sleeping Hinata and stretches, before going to answer the door. He opens it and blinks.

It was Hiashi Hyuga. Sasuke recognized him from various business magazine covers and the occasional interview on the news. He was definitely Hinata's father. His eyes were the same color, though not nearly as kind.

"Oh I'm sorry. Perhaps I have the wrong address. I was looking for my daughter. Hinata Hyuga." He says.

"No. You have the right address. Would you mind waiting a few minutes? She's asleep." Sasuke says.

Hiashi nods and curls his lips in distaste when the other man heads off to get Hinata. His daughter was asleep and there was some man in her house that he didn't recognize. Obviously a lover. He would have found out, if she was foolish enough to get married so quickly after leaving their family. This man was most certainly not her husband.

"Hinata. Your father is here. He's waiting outside the door." Sasuke whispers in her ear.

THAT woke Hinata up hella fast. She practically jumps out of the bed and her eyes were alert almost instantly. She looked around like a panicked animal.

"I know that you left them, but it can't be that bad. Can it? If you want, I can tell him to leave." Doctor Love offers.

"No. No. I can't put you through that. That wouldn't be fair. Besides, I need to face my own problems." The bluenette says.

Sasuke looks at her skeptically. He admired her courage, but he wasn't sure if this was a good idea. There had to be a reason why she jumped like that and it couldn't be a good one.

"Alright. If you are sure. If you need me, I'll just be in the kitchen." He assures her.

"Thank you." Hinata whispers as she heads to the front door to confront her father.

She takes a deep breath and braces herself. Hinata knew that this was unlikely to be fun. For a moment, she briefly considers taking Sasuke up on his offer. She decides against it. It wouldn't be fair to subject Sasuke to her family drama.

"Father." She greets him and almost flinches as he looks her up and down.

"Hinata, stop this foolishness before something happens that you can not take back. Thus far you have not done anything that is completely life changing. I am here today, to speak with you and Hanabi and Neji. You should all simply come home. I do believe that you have all made your points." The Hyuga Patriarch says.

She shakes her head. Hinata wasn't going back. She loved her family, but not their lifestyle. It was so cold. The young woman much preferred the freedom of her new life.

"I'm sorry, Father. Neji, Hanabi, and I left for a reason. We all love you. We just can't live our lives under the microscope." Hinata says.

"Hinata, we have all felt that from time to time. However, our position in the public's eye has enabled our family to do a lot of good." He replies.

Hinata couldn't deny that. Her family was involved in many charity works. While she wasn't entirely certain it was motivated out of genuine concern and not just a way to improve public relations, she couldn't deny that the end result was always positive.

"I know. We are just happier this way. I hope one day you can understand that." She whispers.

"Are you happier because you found yourself a lover?" He asks.

The nurse feels her face heat up. Sasuke wasn't her lover, but it was logical for her father to assume that he was. After all, Sasuke had answered the door in the morning and was wearing one of Neji's outfit.

"Sasuke isn't my lover." She protests.

"Hinata, please do not treat me as a fool. I may be able to understand one day why you would wish to subject yourself to this, but don't treat me as an idiot. The man was here while you were sleeping." He says as if it was obvious.

"Yes, he was. He just drove me home last night from the office party. It started storming and he ended up staying because no one should have driven on those roads." His daughter objects.

Hiashi raises an eyebrow. He wasn't entirely certain he believed that. True, there had been quite the storm last night. Still she didn't necessarily have to let him stay. He had never known Hinata to lie before. So maybe it was.

"Be that as it may, the fact remains that you still have a place with your family. Hanabi and Neji do as well. It is up to you if you wish to take it." He continues.

That's when Neji overhears his uncles voice. He and Hanabi had arrived home an hour or two before. They just hadn't wanted to wake up Sasuke and Hinata. Quickly, the other two Hyugas rush to Hinata's defense.

"That's kind of you, Uncle. I assure you that all three of us are quite content where we are though. We are sincerely sorry that you came all this way for nothing." Neji says.

Hiashi shakes his head. He had been hoping that they would all see reason. It seemed that wasn't going to be the case. Oh well. In time, he was confident that they would all see the error of their ways.

"That's right!" Hanabi exclaims.

"Very well. I shall take my leave for now. You all know how to get in contact with us." Hiashi mutters as he leaves.

* * *

Sasuke hears the Hyuga Patriarch leave and heads out of the kitchen. He blinks when he sees three Hyugas instead of one. When had Neji and Hanabi returned?

"I expect my clothing back. Yours should be dry by now." Neji says.

"Of course. I just didn't want to spend all night in soaked clothes. How did it go?" Sasuke asks.

The three Hyugas sigh and look at their feet. Sasuke didn't require more clarification. It had gone badly.

"It could have gone better." Hinata mumbles.

"If you don't want to go to work today, I understand. It's not a big deal." The raven haired ninja assures her.

Hinata shakes her head. No. She wasn't going to allow her father to control her life, anymore than he already had. The bluenette wasn't going to skip work over this.

"No. I'm fine. Neji?" She asks as she glances at her cousin to see what he planned to do.

"I shall go in as well. I'm a critical part of that hospital." Neji offers with a shrug.

Sasuke nods. He heads into the bathroom to go change. A few minutes later, he emerges and hands Neji back his clothes.

"I suppose we should all get ready for work and Hanabi, you should probably head back to your college. Don't you have a class in an hour?" The other man asks.

Hanabi sighs and nods. The youngest Hyuga Princess darts upstairs. She changes and then practically flies out the door.

"She's fast." Sasuke observes and the other two nod in agreement.

* * *

A few weeks later, Hinata was in the cafeteria when the hospital mail clerk comes over to her. He was carrying something rather large.

"This is for you, Hinata." He says with a smile as he places it on the table.

Immediately, all the female staff members in that room darted over to her. Hinata blushes and quickly unwraps it. It was a large gift basket with red roses, a champagne bottle, and chocolate covered strawberries.

"Who sent those?" Ino asks.

"I don't know." Hinata replies as she checks for a card.

**_I'm sorry that we got off to a rocky start. I do hope that you will accept my sincere apologies. ~ Kabuto_ **

Hinata blinks. The silver haired doctor had given her a gift basket as an apology? Why had he waited so long to send this? She wasn't sure whether it was sincere or some type of trick.

"Oh well that was nice of him. What happened?" Sakura asks.

"It's a very long story. He came on a little too strong is the best way to summarize it though." Hinata mumbles.

The other women giggle. Clearly, they thought it was rather amusing that Hinata had a not so secret admirer. The Hyuga woman wasn't so sure.

"Somehow, I doubt Dr. Love is going to be very happy when he realizes that Kabuto gave you this." Tenten comments with a knowing smile.

Uh oh. Damn it. Was it that obvious? They weren't dating, but Hinata thought they were more than friends. Well Kabuto was about as subtle as a bull in a China Shop, Sasuke was the opposite. It was hard to tell if he was just being friendly or flirting.

"Probably not." She admits and that triggers a chorus of questions.

* * *

Elsewhere in the hospital, Sasuke was lending a hand to Shisui in the lab. He didn't have many patients scheduled for the day. So he might as well do something productive.

"So are you going to tell me what is going on with you and the Hyuga Princess?" Shisui asks as he does an inventory.

"What makes you think something is going on with Hinata and I?" Sasuke counters.

"You looked pretty cozy at the Halloween Party and you left together. It doesn't take a genius to figure out something is up. Come on. I'm not going to tell your folks or Itachi. They probably already know anyway. You know it's impossible to keep a secret in this family." The flirtatious Uchiha continues.

Sasuke had to admit that Shisui had a point. It really was hard to keep a secret in a family as close as the Uchihas. He sighs and decides just to fess up. (Shisui was right, his parents and Itachi already knew anyway).

"I don't know really. I mean we haven't actually done anything. I gave her a ride back to her home. I didn't want her to walk home alone, on Halloween night. You know that the crazies come out on Halloween." Sasuke says.

"You were worried someone might have a go at our cute little angel? Yeah, I can see that. Good move. Then what happened?" His cousin inquires.

Sasuke sighs. Not much, unfortunately. Still maybe Shisui could help. Sure, he was a flirt. But he knew what worked and what didn't. He didn't want to come on too strong and scare her off. But if he didn't come on at least a little, then she would think they were just friends.

"It started to pour. She let me in her house. Originally, the plan was to wait for it to stop raining. We watched a movie and I ended up staying the night. We fell asleep at some point. Her father showed up in the morning. I guess she, Neji, and Hanabi had a bit of a showdown with their father." He finishes.

Shisui raises an eyebrow. Well the fact that Hinata invited him to stay the night was an encouraging sign. He wasn't too sure how to take Hiashi's sudden appearance.

"I have to admit that I was rather curious what two Hyugas were doing working in a hospital. That doesn't seem fancy enough for that high society family. Something pretty major must have happened. I thought it would be rude to ask though." Shisui replies.

"Yeah. I just found out because Naruto told me honestly. I mean I like her, but she's pretty shy. I don't want to you know…" Sasuke trails off.

"Scare her off by moving too fast? Well you've already been to her house. So that must mean she likes you to some extent. I've never seen you so skittish before. Maybe try something small. You have to do something. A sexy nurse doesn't stay single for long." The other Uchiha points out.

Sasuke nods. Shisui was right about that. He just wasn't sure what qualified as small by Hinata standards.

"I guess I could ask her to dinner or something." Sasuke says.

"Good idea. Good luck Romeo. Try not to get yourself and Juliet killed though." Shisui tells him.

Sasuke rolls his eyes. Shisui was such a smartass. He swats him upside the head for that lovely contribution before bounding off to find his sexy nurse.

He blinks when he finds her in the cafeteria. Hinata had all the women around her. That's when he saw the basket. What the Hell?

"Hinata?" He asks as he strides over.

The other women quickly scatter. Oh yeah. That set off alarm bells in his head. What the Hell was going on?

"Oh hey, Sasuke. Um it's a long story." She says and suddenly finds her feet fascinating.

"I got time. What's going on?" Sasuke asks.

Hinata sighs. This might not end well. She knew Sasuke though. He was a very determined person. He wouldn't be a doctor at 25, if he wasn't.

"Kabuto gave me a gift basket. The note says that he's sorry about well everything." The Hyuga woman admits.

Sasuke felt himself twitch. No one could get under his skin like Kabuto. How fucking dare he send Hinata a **_GIFT BASKET?!_**

The other doctor had some nerve. He had borderline stalked Hinata. Now he thought some flowers were enough to earn him Hinata's forgiveness. He really hoped that she wouldn't fall for it.

"Do you believe him?" Sasuke asks.

"I don't know. If he was really sorry, I don't think he'd wait this long. It doesn't matter though. I'm just going to try to avoid him. I don't want any trouble." The young woman answers him.

Doctor Love mentally sighs in relief. Thank God. She hadn't bought it. He didn't know what he would have done, if Hinata had actually believed the pervert.

"Good. So I was wondering if maybe you wanted to have dinner with me tonight? Or whenever you are free." He asks.

Sasuke was not used to doing this. Generally, women made the first move. He just hoped that he didn't sound like some middle schooler. The youngest Uchiha was definitely out of practice when it came to asking women out.

"I'd love to." Hinata replies with a shy smile.

"Great. We could have dinner at my house or go out. I can cook." Sasuke offers.

Hinata giggles. She suddenly had an image of Dr. Love wearing a pink frilly apron in the kitchen. That's when she realizes that laughing at Sasuke's offer probably would offend him and tries to stop her giggling.

"I'm sure you are. Alright. We can have dinner at your place. When would be a good time to come over?" Hinata inquires.

"Well I guess breakfast or lunch would be more accurate. How about around ten. We get off at eight. That should be enough time to make something." Sasuke asks.

"Alright. That sounds fun." The bluenette says with a smile.

* * *

A few hours later, Sasuke flips the omelet. He groans when he saw Itachi walk into the kitchen. He was really regretting giving his brother an emergency key.

"Itachi, have you ever heard of knocking?" He mutters.

"Of course, I have. But that would take all the fun out of surprising you. That's quite a lot of food for one person." Itachi says with a smirk.

This was going to be annoying. He was going to have to usher his older brother out before Hinata showed up. The last thing he needed was for Itachi embarrass him in front of Hinata. (Oh and he definitely would).

"That's because it's for two people and no, it's not for you and me. Go." Sasuke growls at him.

"Did you finally man up and ask her out? Oh you are cooking for your cute nurse. That's adorable, Sasuke. Really. Women love that sort of thing." Itachi says, apparently deciding that he wasn't going to go anywhere without teasing Sasuke first.

Sasuke twitches. He was contemplating shoving Itachi through the window. They were on the first floor. It wouldn't hurt him…much.

"Itachi, I swear if you don't leave, I will kick your ass. Yes, I asked her out. No, it's not any of your business. Go!" The younger Uchiha snaps at him.

"Some flowers would be a nice touch." He offers.

"Kabuto, gave her flowers. I don't want to remind her of him." Sasuke says.

Itachi tilts his head as if giving this matter some serious consideration. After a moment or two, he nods his head in agreement. Sasuke had a good point. He really didn't want to remind his date of another man.

"Alright. Alright. I'm going. Have fun. Remember to be safe though." Itachi says with a smirk as he heads off.

"Some days, I really wish that I was an only child." He mutters.

* * *

Meanwhile Orochimaru shakes his head at Kabuto. The two of them had gone out for drinks after work. The elder doctor could see that his apprentice was certainly flirting with disaster.

"You gave her a gift basket?" He asks in disbelief.

"Yes, I did. I thought that it was a nice olive branch. Women generally love flowers, desserts, and champagne. The other female staffers, certainly seemed to think it was worth fawning over." He says smugly.

Oh boy. This was worse than he thought. He was going to have to stage an intervention. He needed to do it as quickly as possible. This was going to get out of hand and quickly.

"It was a lovely basket, but you know that this won't end well. You realize that, right? Your boss is after the same woman and you have been provoking him for awhile. You are going to risk your job, if this keeps up." He warns him.

"I doubt they can fire me over giving her flowers. Besides, in the worst case scenario, I have a job offer at a university. A teaching position. I prefer working at a hospital to be honest, but it is a nice offer. The salary is quite high." He muses.

Orochimaru shakes his head. Well at least Kabuto was smart enough to have a backup plan. Though he had to wonder if that offer would still be on the table, if Kabuto got fired for sexual harassment.

"As much as I would loathe to see you go, I suggest you take that offer. Forget about all of this. You would make a wonderful teacher. The students would certainly benefit from your expertise. It can be a very rewarding profession." He reasons.

"I'm certain that the job would be a good fit for me. But I prefer working at the Sharingan Hospital. Besides, Sasuke really has to learn a valuable lesson. I consider it practice for my teaching job. I don't mind giving it to him." The other man says.

Dr. Sannin sighs. He didn't like where this was going. Still he figured that he had to at least try to slap some sense into his colleague.

"And what lesson do you intend to teach Doctor Uchiha?" Orochimaru asks cautiously.

"That he can't have everything. That includes a certain nurse. I've had it with his arrogance. He needs to be taken down a peg or two." The silver haired man replies.

Orochimaru smacks his forehead. This was worse than he thought. He didn't doubt that Kabuto liked the Hyuga Nurse, but he clearly was more obsessed with getting revenge on Sasuke than her.

"Then as a teacher, I feel that I should pass onto you a bit of advice as well." He says.

"And what advice is that?" The young doctor asks curiously.

"There is an old saying. He who goes after revenge, should dig two graves. Be careful that your desire to hurt Sasuke, doesn't come back to harm you. These things have a way of spiraling out of control, Kabuto. I don't want to see you suffer needlessly." The dark haired man warns his friend.

Kabuto shakes his head. He was touched that Orochimaru was worried about him. That wouldn't stop him though. Sasuke had this coming for a long time.

"Oh trust me, there will only be one metaphorical grave. I'm not going to actually attack him. But I am going to keep him from getting what he wants." The silver haired man says as he pays for his drink and heads off.

The young doctor drives around until he found Sasuke's house. He raises an eyebrow when he saw that Itachi was leaving. Hmm. Something was up. It was time to do a little snooping.

* * *

A few minutes later, Hinata pulls into Sasuke's driveway. Kabuto's eyes narrow. Ah so that's what was going on. Itachi was giving dating advice to his brother. It looked like Sauske had asked Hinata out.

"Sasuke, are you here?" Hinata asks as she knocks on the door.

Almost immediately, the door opens. Sasuke was standing in it. He smiles at the nurse and gestures for her to head inside. Much to Kabuto's displeasure, the Hyuga woman soon follows him.

"Well just because she agreed to a date, doesn't mean I can't have some fun." He smirks as he looks at Hinata's car.

The silver haired man quickly slashes her tires and heads off. That ought to put a damper on any romance. Once she saw her tires were slashed in Sasuke's driveway, that should give her plenty to think about.

He could be the shoulder to cry on. Sasuke would go into overprotective mode. That would annoy the nurse. Yes, this was perfect. He had a good plan now and he had just set into motion perfectly.

"See, Orochimaru? There was nothing to worry about." He says to himself as he drives off.


	7. The Calm Before the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke's and Hinata's relationship continues to blossom, but is this just the calm before the storm?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

Hinata smiles. It was sweet that he would cook for her. Actually, he cooked A LOT. She blinks. That was a really big breakfast.

"You didn't need to cook enough to feed an army." The brunette says with a giggle and kisses his cheek.

"I didn't know what you liked. So I figured a bit of everything would be best. Besides, I can always eat whatever we don't finish later on. Saves me some extra cooking." He informs her, smiling at the kiss on the cheek.

She nods. Well that made sense. Leave it to a bachelor to think that leftovers were a good thing.

"Is there anything you can't do? Medicine, dancing, and now cooking." She asks.

"I'm horrible at anything else domestic that doesn't involve cooking or tools, especially cleaning." Sasuke admits and makes a face.

Hinata looks around. She was pretty sure that Sasuke was being too hard on himself. The place was spotless. For someone who said he wasn't good at cleaning, he did keep a tidy home.

"But your house is so nice?" The bluenette asks in confusion.

"I use a housekeeping service. They're good. I figure I have the money, so I might as well enjoy a few perks here and there." The youngest Uchiha confesses.

The nurse couldn't help but giggle at that answer. That was so very not Sasuke-like. Hmm. Was that even a word? Oh well. It was a word now.

"You're lazy." The bluenette muses as she playfully pushes him into a nearby chair and sits in his lap.

"Maybe a little, but at least my laziness is giving someone a paycheck." Sasuke defends himself and smirks when he realizes he had a very sexy nurse sitting in his lap.

"Mmm I guess that's true." Hinata says as she gently kisses him.

Sasuke was never one to miss an opportunity like that. He kisses right back and wastes no time in deepening it. He idly notes that she tastes like watermelon.

Hinata gasps and moans into the kiss. Sasuke might have waited awhile to ask her out. But apparently once he got started, he didn't hesitate. His tongue was gliding along hers in a seductive dance of passion.

She shyly kisses back. Hinata was just enjoying the fact that Sasuke's hands were beginning to wonder when a timer goes off. The bluenette quickly breaks the kiss and jumps off his lap. Sasuke sighs and takes the food off of the stove.

"Bad timing." He mutters.

Hinata could only nod her head in agreement. Really bad timing. She blushes when she realizes that she had gotten a little carried away then. Her father had thought they were lovers, but they weren't. If they kept going at that rate, the would be soon though.

"Well that was the last of it." He says as he sets the plate of bacon on the table.

"You can sit back down if you want." Sasuke offers slyly.

Hinata felt her face heating up even more. Damn it. She couldn't believe she had let herself get that carried away. She didn't want Sasuke to think that she was just going to throw herself at him, like everyone else.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea." She mumbles.

"You sure? I think it's a very good idea, but alright. So what's the verdict? Is Neji going to give me the Death Penalty for wearing one of his outfits?" Sasuke asks.

He might have pushed just a little too far there. Sasuke consoles himself with the fact that she hadn't bolted yet. Besides, he was only human. A beautiful woman had been in his lap. Of course he was going to react!

The youngest Uchiha decides it would be best to distract her though. It might help to get the conversation back on safer ground. Neji was a good way to do this.

"I think that he's decided to only put you on probation. My cousin is very protective of his clothes. That's the only thing that our family let us decide for ourselves what we wanted to do. Our wardrobe. So to him, it's a symbol of his freedom." She explains.

"That's incredibly sad. He's attached to his clothes because they wouldn't let him making any other decisions for himself? That's emotionally abusive." Sasuke observes in outrage.

Hinata sighs. She didn't know how she would ever be able to explain what it was like. Growing up as a Hyuga was a different world than most people ever experienced.

"It wasn't abusive, exactly. They never hit us or anything like that. It wasn't psychological warfare. We were just carefully groomed. Our public image was extremely important." She says.

"I can see why you couldn't wait to get out of there. Bad enough that they were freaking out over what forks you used, but was it really that bad?" He asks as he caresses her cheek.

The nurse bites her lower lip. She didn't want to trash her family. Hinata might have disowned herself, but she still felt loyalty to her blood to a certain degree.

"It wasn't that bad, but I prefer my freedom to a golden cage." Hinata admits.

Sasuke nods. He could understand that. He felt a lot of sympathy towards his beautiful nurse at the moment. He knew that if he had grown up in that environment, Sasuke would have gone insane. There were no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

"You're a much kinder person than I am. I don't know if I could ever be that forgiving. I'm just glad that you left that situation and I'm really glad that you are here, with me now." He tells her.

Hinata smiles. Sasuke was really sweet, when he wanted to be. At the moment, she felt like kissing him again. That's when she heard a strange sound and darts over to the window to see what it was.

"What was that?" Sasuke asks in confusion.

He had heard a strange sound as well. Doctor Love glances around and tries to figure out what had happened. He walks over to Hinata and blinks at what he saw.

"Someone slashed your tires." He mutters in disgust when he realizes what that hissing sound was.

"Oh God." Hinata cries out in horror.

Sasuke sighs. He wraps his arms around her comfortingly. Who the Hell would slash Hinata's tires? She was the nicest person that he had ever met. Who could possibly hold a grudge against her?

"It was probably just some dumb kid. Don't worry about it. Do you have any spare tires?" Sasuke asks.

"I have one, but it looks like they slashed all four." The bruentte says mournfully.

Sasuke nods at this. Most people didn't carry around four spares. Fortunately for her, his family was fairly paranoid when it came to that type of thing. He could lend her some.

"I'll go check my garage. I think my spares should work on your car, just fine. Probably just some stupid kid. I wouldn't worry about it." He says and kisses her cheek as he heads off.

Hinata smiles. It was nice of Sasuke to try to fix it. The bluenette bit her lower lip in worry though. Somehow, she doubted that it was just some teenager playing a malicious prank.

* * *

Meanwhile Shisui and Itachi were at a local bar. The two of them had a tradition of drinking together at least once a month. It was always on Itachi's day off though. (Shisui teased him about trying to pretend to be responsible, but never argued on that point).

"So you look pretty pleased with yourself. What happened?" Shisui asks as he takes another gulp of his drink.

"Sasuke finally asked the Hyuga Nurse out. It was cute. I found him in his home, cooking breakfast for her. Sweet really." Itachi muses as he orders his second drink.

Shisui laughs. Yeah. He could just picture Sasuke trying to throw something together. The image of Sasuke in a pink frilly apron immediately came to mind and it was hilarious.

"Was he wearing an apron?" Itachi's cousin asks him.

"No. There was no apron. That was disappointing. Had he been wearing one, I would have certainly taken a picture. It would have made such wonderful blackmailing material." The Hospital Administrator admits and chuckles.

The other Uchiha pouts. Damn. That was a wasted opportunity really. Oh well. They had more important things to think about at the moment.

"Well did he seem nervous?" Shisui asks.

"Mostly he seemed annoyed that I showed up just before his date. I can't really blame him there. He was as riled up as a wet cat." Itachi states in open amusement.

Shisui laughs. Yes, the imagine of a very irritated Sasuke Uchiha could be quite comical. Well as long as his annoyance wasn't directed at you. His baby cousin could have quite the temper when he was properly motivated. All Uchihas did really.

"Yes, I can understand his frustration. If I had a brother, I probably wouldn't reacted well to him showing up just before my date, either. So I take it you approve of her then?" He asks.

"She's a sweet girl and they are both in the medical field. Obviously, they have a lot in common. We know she isn't a gold-digger. Hinata disowned herself from one of the wealthiest families in the country. I don't see anything that would concern me about her being with him. Besides, if anyone needs to get laid, it is my foolish little brother." Itachi muses.

Shisui nods in agreement. Yes, Sasuke definitely needed a girlfriend. Hinata seemed like a nice girl. That meant it was up to them to see that their kinsman didn't mess it up.

"In that case, we should probably lend them our assistance. Would you prefer to nudge Sasuke or Hinata?" He asks.

Itachi smirks. That was the spirit. He knew that he could count on his favorite cousin to help him. What else was family for, if not to meddle in your love life?

"I'll take Hinata. Sasuke is too suspicious of me. He might be more willing to open up to you." Itachi reasons.

"Alright. I'll take Sasuke. You can deal with the Hyuga Princess. It looks like it's settled then. Sasuke is so fortunate to have us to look out for him." Shisui says with a smirk.

"Indeed he is." Itachi agrees.

* * *

A few days later, Kabuto subtly watches Hinata in the hospital. He didn't want to make it obvious that was what he was doing. Still he wanted to see if his plan had worked.

Unfortunately, it appeared that it hadn't. If anything, Sasuke was now almost her shadow. How she wasn't getting annoyed at his constant hovering yet, was beyond him.

"Have the police gotten any leads yet?" Sasuke asks Hinata.

"None. Honestly, I don't think they are trying very hard. Slashed tires are hardly at the top of their list of concerns." She admits with a sigh.

Kabuto smirks at this answer. Good. The police had no idea. He might get a fine or something if they discovered who did it. Perhaps a restraining order. He wasn't certain about jail time. That was good news.

"Probably not. Has anything else happened since then?" Doctor Love inquires.

"No. Everything's been normal so far. Thank you for fixing my car though. Perhaps I should stock up on tires, just in case." She muses.

"It couldn't hurt. I'm really starting to think it was probably just some drunk teenagers or something. Who could you have possibly pissed off enough to have them vandalized your car?" The raven haired doctor wonders.

Oh it wasn't that Hinata had pissed him off. It was the opposite actually. He quite liked her. He had attacked her car because he wanted to scare her away from Sasuke. Sadly, it had backfired.

"I don't know. There are a lot of people who are less than thrilled with my family though. Maybe they targeted me because of that?" The nurse suggests.

Sasuke frowns. It was certainly possible. He didn't find that thought particularly comforting though.

"Well assuming it wasn't some random kid and it's someone with a grudge against your family, they know where I live now and they probably know where you live. Maybe you should stay at a hotel for awhile?" He asks.

Hinata shakes her head. No. She wasn't going to be driven out of her home by whoever this was. That wasn't going to happen.

"That would be giving them what they want, assuming that I was targeted." She mumbles.

"Well at least you have Neji and even Hanabi there. Still, I would feel better if you had a security system and a guard dog couldn't hurt." He mutters.

"We just got a security system yesterday. Maybe a dog wouldn't be a bad idea though." She concedes.

Sasuke nods in agreement. One could never be too careful. Who knew what was really going on? But until they got to the bottom of this strange situation, it was better safe than sorry.

"I could go with you, if you want?" Sasuke inquires.

Hinata smiles. Sasuke might be more subtle about it than most, but he did like to play the Knight in Shining Armor in his own way. She kisses his cheek and smiles once more.

"I'd like that. Maybe a German Shepherd would be best? They are supposed to make really good guard dogs. The police use them all the time. There has to be a reason, right?" Hinata inquires.

"Yeah, a shepherd might be a good choice. I suppose we could ask Kiba. He's a vet. He knows all about these types of things. Have you ever had a dog before?" Sasuke replies.

"No. Father was allergic." The bluenette admits.

Sasuke nods. Well now that she wasn't living with her father, she could get a guard dog. It was a damn good thing too. While he was almost positive that it had just been some stupid teenager, he wasn't willing to be Hinata's life on it.

"Sounds good. After work we can go talk to Kiba about it." Sasuke suggests and Hinata nods in agreement.

Kabuto frowns. Hmm a security system and a dog. That could be problematic. Oh well. He didn't necessarily have to go to her house to achieve his goals.

It was bad luck though. Well at least he knew beforehand about her house. He might want her, but he wasn't going to risk going to jail for the sexy nurse. It didn't matter how good she looked in her uniform.

"I'll just have to come up with something else." He muses as the couple walks off.

Kabuto had to admit that he was irritated by how closely they were walking with each other. Sasuke even had the gall to put his hand on her back. Damn him.

"Are you alright, Kabuto?" Tenten asks in concern.

"Oh yes. Of course. I just remembered that I left my car running. I'll be right back." Kabuto says.

He mentally curses himself. How could he have been so careless? The lab technician had snuck up on him. If he was going to pull of his plan, Kabuto would have to be careful. He couldn't allow for such slipups.

"Yeah. I hate when that happens." Tenten says sympathetically and the silver haired doctor nods in agreement as he heads towards the parking lot.

He had to go outside now. If he didn't, Tenten might find out that he was lying. If she found out that he was lying, there was a slim chance she might realize he was watching Sasuke and Hinata. That would ruin everything.

* * *

Meanwhile Fugaku was trying to get some work done. He was failing miserably though. Well perhaps miserably wasn't the right word. It was a fun failure.

Who could possibly concentrate when they had a beautiful woman giving you such a wonderful shoulder rub? No one. That was who. He smiles and leans back into his wife's administrations.

"You know we should be working on those reports." He reminds her.

"Mmm I know. We are ahead of schedule though. Besides, I saw you crack your neck a few times. You aren't as young as you used to be. You shouldn't push yourself so hard." She muses as she rubs his shoulders more.

"Did you just call me old?" Fugaku demands as he scowls at that implication.

"Mmm not exactly. If you are old, that means I'm old. I'm just saying that you aren't as young as you used to be. You are still quite… _lively_ though." The dark beauty assures him.

Damn fucking right he was lively! Hmpf. He might not be Sasuke and Itachi's age anymore, but he could still accomplish anything that he needed to accomplish. That apparently was going to include giving his sassy wife a firm spanking in the near future for her cheek.

"Sometimes, I do believe that you enjoy provoking me." He muses.

"Maybe a little. The results are fun." She admits and kisses his cheek with a smile.

Fugaku chuckles. Some things never changed, he supposed. She was still the same woman that he met all those years ago in college.

That's when he frowns and pauses as he looks at the security footage. Kabuto was sulking around in corners again. The Uchiha Patriarch certainly didn't care for that in the slightest.

"What's wrong, my love?" Mikoto asks.

"Nothing definitive. Though it seems one of our doctors is making it a habit to stand in hallways for long periods of times." He mutters.

"Are you saying that he is shirking his duties?" His wife inquires with a frown.

Fugaku shakes his head. No. That wasn't it. Kabuto was still attending to his professional duties as well as ever. He certainly couldn't fault the man's work ethic.

"No, but it seems he has taken up a new hobby. One that happens to involve standing around nearby, whenever Sasuke and Hinata are in the hallways." The elder Uchiha observes.

Now it was Mikoto's turn to frown. Hmm. That didn't sound good. That sounded a bit ominous really.

"I don't like it. Should we do something?" The Uchiha woman asks him.

"We can hardly scold him for just standing in hallways during his break. It is troubling though. Perhaps we should inform Sasuke of it. I don't want to spook Hinata." Fugaku admits.

"I don't either. Still the girl has a right to know. I don't think I particularly care for this behavior from him. It's starting to become alarming." Mikoto states.

Her husband nods his head in agreement. That much was true. Still Kabuto hadn't done anything that was wrong. Firing him for standing in a hallway too long, was a bit of a stretch to say the least.

"I think I'll speak with Orochimaru about this as well. Kabuto looks up to that man. Perhaps he can talk some sense into him." The Uchiha Patriarch says.

"Maybe. I know that they are rather close." Mikoto says.

That was an understatement. As far as Fugaku could tell, the silver haired doctor practically worshipped the ground that Orochimaru walked on. It was a bit creepy really. (And that was saying something because he was not a man that was easily creeped out).

Fugaku sighs and stretches. He gets out of his chair and kisses his wife's cheek. It was regrettable that his shoulder rub was cut short, but it had to be done.

"I'll be back soon. It shouldn't take too long to find Orochimaru." He informs her before heading off.

* * *

It turned out that the Uchiha Patriarch was right about that assessment. He finds Dr. Sannin in the faculty lounge. Fugaku takes a deep breath and braces himself.

Understandably, it was unlikely the esteemed doctor would take what he was about to say well. Kabuto was his apprentice. Orochimaru wasn't going to want to believe that his student was up to something malicious.

"Dr. Sannin, do you have a few moments? I must admit that I have concerns and I believe that you are the only one who might be able to help me address them." He begins.

"That does sound troubling. Of course, I am here to listen. What is bothering you?" Orochimaru asks.

This wasn't going to be pretty. Sadly, it had to be done. Fugaku ponders the best way to break the news gently, before beginning.

"Kabuto's behavior towards Nurse Hyuga and Sasuke is rather disturbing to me. He has been lurking in hallways and while he hasn't actually done anything too concerning, I believe it is only a matter of time. I would appreciate it, if you could speak with him." The Uchiha man urges him.

Orochimaru sighs. This was spiraling out of control. If things were serious enough that Fugaku had noticed, they were rapidly approaching the point of no return.

"I have spoken to him about it at some length. I shall do so again. I'm afraid that he might not be listening to my advice. Kabuto is a young man. You know how headstrong and stubborn they can be." Orochimaru replies.

Fugaku frowns. If Orochimaru had already spoken to Kabuto, this was worse than he thought. If Dr. Sannin couldn't reach him, the father of two wasn't sure who could.

"I appreciate that. Thank you. It would be unwise to inform him that we had this conversation. That would just put him on the defensive. He could feel betrayed." He adds.

"Of course. I can keep a secret. Thank you for coming to me with this. It means a lot to me to know that I have your confidence in such a personal matter. Rest assured, that I will do what I can to ensure that this situation is resolved peacefully." Orochimaru promises.

"Wonderful. Well I don't wish to intrude on your break further. Good night." Fugaku says as he walks off.

"Good night." Orochimaru says and sighs as he braces himself for the inevitable confrontation with Kabuto, this truly was the calm before the storm.


	8. The Basket

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Sasuke and Hinata take precautions to protect her safety, an unexpected gift basket arrives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you like this chapter.

Sasuke and Hinata were currently at the SPCA. Sasuke notes with amusement that even boy dogs were eager to show off for his girlfriend. He figured that he could call her his girlfriend now. Well at least in his head.

"Awe Sasuke! Look how cute the puppies are!" She calls out.

"They are very cute. Though I think we want something a little bit bigger." Sasuke replies.

Hinata nods. That was true. Well maybe they'd get a puppy next time. Then again, puppies didn't stay puppies for long. So maybe it didn't really matter.

"Can I help you?" One of the workers asks.

"Yes, we are looking for a good guard dog." Hinata says with a smile.

"Oh, of course. Follow me." He says as he leads them to the back where some of the larger dogs were kept.

Hinata looks around curiously. Well Sasuke was right. Something bigger than a puppy was needed. Still she did want the dog to be friendly. Well at least to her, Sasuke, Neji, and Hanabi anyway. So it had to know to be aggressive only towards the right person.

"Don't worry about it, Hinata. It's instinctive for the dog to want to protect its owner." Sasuke assures her, knowing where her thoughts were going.

"Am I that obvious?" The bluenette mumbles shyly.

"A little, but it also helps that I know you pretty well by now." The raven haired man answers.

"So what are you guys worried about, robbers?" The worker inquires.

"Not exactly. Some creep won't take no for an answer when it comes to her. We figure a security system and a guard dog should scare him off." Sasuke answers honestly.

The other young man blinks. Hmm. It wouldn't be the first time that a beautiful woman got a stalker. Perhaps they were right to take precautions.

"Have you thought about getting a restraining order?" Utakata says.

"He hasn't actually done anything that would get a judge to grant it. He's just making me uncomfortable. The man got my number from work, is staring at us, sent me a gift basket, and some other things. I've made it clear that I'm not interested, but…" Hinata trails off.

Utakata nods. She didn't need to elaborate. He was getting the picture. Well in that case, he knew just the dog for them.

"This is Shadow. He's about two. German Shepherd. He's a purebred, so a little on the pricey side though. We call him Shadow because by the time he decides to pounce, that's all the warning you get. He's very fast." The brown haired man explains.

"Hinata, why don't you see how he takes to you?" Sasuke suggests.

"Is that safe?" The bluenette asks and glances at the cinnamon eyed man known as Utakata. (It was written on his name tag).

He nods. Of course, it was safe. He was here to make sure nothing bad happened. It was his job to ensure the safety of the visitors and animals.

"Don't worry. I'm right here and so is your boyfriend. If he gets spooked or something, I can easily reign him in. I know how to handle him." He assures her and Hinata nods as he releases the dog from the kennel.

* * *

A few minutes later, Hinata was giving the large canine a belly rub. Sasuke shakes his head in amusement and takes out his wallet. He quickly writes a check.

"Sasuke! You don't have to do that! I can afford him." Hinata protests.

"It was my idea. It's only right that I pay for it. Don't worry about it. Consider it an early birthday present." Sasuke says.

Hinata frowns. After a minute, she slowly nods. Apparently the early birthday present line of reasoning, must have worked it's magic.

"Is he up to date on his shots and things?" Hinata asks Utakata.

"Yes, he is." The worker assures her and Hinata smiles as Shadow is put on a leash.

Sasuke smiles and heads off with Hinata and Shadow. It didn't take them long to arrive at her place. They knock on the door and Neji quickly opens it.

"I see you got the dog." Neji observes in amusement.

Hinata nods. She smiles and heads inside. Sasuke follows suit. Neji calls out for Hanabi, who comes racing down the stairs. (The youngest Hyuga was very excited to meet their newest furry friend).

"Is it a boy or a girl?" She asks excitedly.

"Boy. His name is Shadow. Well unless you guys want to rename him." Sasuke adds as an afterthought.

It didn't take the Hyuga women long to fall in love with their new pet. Neji and Sasuke shake their heads in amusement and heads to the kitchen. Neji prepares them some tea.

"I think getting the dog was probably a good idea. I have to admit that I have some concerns about Kabuto as well. The security system should be sufficient, but one can never be too careful about such things." The lavender eyed man observes.

"I feel the same way. I'm counting on you and Shadow to keep them safe, when I'm not around. We work together, but we don't live together. I hate leaving her alone, knowing that creep might try something. Utakata, he was one of the workers, suggested a restraining order. We don't have any real evidence. A judge would never grant us one." Sasuke says with a sigh.

Neji frowns. A restraining order would certainly be convenient. Unfortunately, Sasuke and Utakata were correct. A judge would never grant one based on such little evidence. If they did, everyone would be getting restraining orders.

"You're likely correct about that. Well we have done everything that we can reasonably do." The Hyuga man observes.

Sasuke nods. He didn't like it, but it was true. He just wished there was more that he could do.

* * *

Meanwhile Hiashi Hyuga paces. Damn it. It was unfortunate. He was going to have to come up with another way to cement the alliance. A marriage simply wasn't going to happen at this rate.

The Hyugas presented a respectable image to the public. In reality, they were involved in some rather high profile white crime. The old fashioned aggressive actions of the Mafia had been replaced with a more elegant and refined touch. (Well at least when it came to this crime family).

"I'm sure the girls will see reason. They will only be content to play house so long before the real world becomes too uncomfortable for them." Another Hyuga states.

Her name was Meeko. She was a Branch Member. Although she was not from the Main House, she was certainly a skilled strategist. Thus she held the distinction of being one of the few Branch Members who had earned a certain degree of freedom that the others hadn't.

"I hope you are right. Well we must operate on the assumption that we will not be able to merge with the Kaguya Family through marriages. We'll simply have to come up with a backup plan." He mutters.

The Kaguya family was another crime family. Unlike the Hyugas, they preferred a more direct approach. They could be quite savage in Hiashi's mind, but he couldn't doubt their efficiency.

Hiashi had carefully looked into the background of all the men in that family. Kimimaro was the most suitable prospect. He was gentle by his family's standards. He would make a suitable match for Hinata.

"Of course, My Lord." Meeko says and she bows.

Most Hyuga marriages were arranged. So it could hardly come as a shock to Hinata, that Hiashi would arrange a match for her. Sadly, the three Hyugas had left before the proposal could even be mentioned formally.

It was just pure dumb luck that they had left, before Hiashi could pitch the idea to the other crime family. Still he didn't like it. It would have made things much easier, if Hinata hadn't run off.

"I suppose we could offer monetary support instead. It's not as concrete as a marriage, but it is still something." He muses.

Hiashi Hyuga was not a fool. There was a reason why he was the Head of the Hyuga Clan. He knew when to cultivate alliances and when to avoid them. It was gamble to work with that Clan, but the rewards were well worth the risks in his mind.

"Is there anything else that I can do for you, Lord Hiashi?" Meeko inquires.

"Not at the moment. I shall resume my regular duties. You are dismissed." He states and the woman quickly leaves.

When Hiashi Hyuga told you to leave, you left. You also left quickly, unless you were very stupid. Meeko was certainly not stupid.

In a way, she couldn't help but envy Hinata, Neji, and Hanabi. They were free. They got out of this strange family. She wasn't an idiot though. The Hyugas could make life quite difficult for you, if you left the family without their consent.

Those there were simply too high profile to employ the usual tactics. Meeko sighs. She did long for her freedom. Perhaps one day, if she impressed Hiashi, he would allow her to marry outside of the family.

"Well I suppose it doesn't hurt to dream. Sometimes that is all that one has in this life." She muses as she heads off.

* * *

The next day, Kabuto set his plans in motion. He sends a gift basket to Sasuke. Only this time, he doesn't sign his name. He puts Mei's name on it.

Mei was the name of a sexy cougar who was one of the doctors at the hospital. She was about ten years Sasuke's senior, but that didn't stop her from making advances on Doctor Love.

"In many ways, she's the opposite of Hinata." He observes.

Hinata was sweet, shy, and beautiful. Mei was sultry, definitely not shy, and seductive. The two women were definitely the subject of many men's fantasies, just in very different ways.

Kabuto was certain that Hinata would know who she was by now. That would make this all the sweeter. Nothing broke up a relationship faster than jealousy.

"This is for you, Dr. Uchiha." The mailman says as he hands Sasuke a gift basket.

"Thanks." Sasuke says as he examines the contents in confusion.

Hinata was sitting right next to him. They often ate lunch together now. He blinks at what he saw. It was a black lacy lingerie set. A rather revealing one.

"Hinata, did you…send this?" Sasuke asks.

"What?! I wouldn't do that at work!" Hinata blushes scarlet and quickly grabs the note.

**_Dear Sasuke,_ **

**_Call me when you get tired of the playing with the kitten and want a tigress._ **

**_Love, Mei_ **

"Hinata, I swear that I had nothing to do with this. I haven't even talked to that woman in weeks." Sauske says in a rush.

It was too late though. Even Hinata had her limits. She marched off to go find Mei, after grabbing the basket. Sasuke blinks and quickly follows her.

"Oh I know you didn't encourage her." Hinata snaps at Sasuke as she finds Mei's office.

"What kind of woman would send something this provocative to a man who was already in a relationship, in front of everyone?!" The Hyuga woman demands.

Mei blinks. One minute she had been treating a patient and the next, Hinata came charging into her office. The patient looks shocked and quickly makes a tactical retreat. He could see that this was going to get ugly and didn't want to be around for the fireworks.

"What are you talking about?" Mei demands.

Hinata quickly shoves the basket in the other woman's face. Mei looks at it. What the Hell? She hadn't sent that.

"I don't know who is playing what sort of game, but I didn't send your boyfriend that! It's true, that I've flirted with Sasuke from time to time, but so has almost every woman in this hospital. I stopped doing so once it became clear that you two were involved. Sasuke, will you tell this crazy woman that I am not trying to seduce you?" Mei growls.

Sasuke couldn't believe this was actually happening. He believed Mei when she said that she didn't send the basket. But that begged the question. Who did?

"Mei hasn't tried to seduce me for at least a few months. I swear Hinata, I have no idea what is going on here. I would never cheat on you. You know that. Mei is very…flirtatious, but she's not a home wrecker." Sasuke says desperately.

Mei nods in confirmation. She did enjoy relationships with younger men, but that didn't mean that she was **_The Other Woman._** That was one line that she was not going to cross.

"I'm sorry, Mei. It seems that I owe you an apology. It's just when I saw the lingerie, I saw red." Hinata mumbles and Sasuke wraps his arms around her.

"It's alright. If I had been in your position, I would have done the same. Well actually, I probably would have done worse. I would have punched me." She notes with a quiet laugh.

Hinata feels her cheeks heat up in embarrassment. She couldn't believe that she had fallen for such a cheap trick. The bluenette leans into her boyfriend.

"If I hadn't been so terrified, I probably would have thought that it was hot. I mean it's sweet that you were so jealous of me." Sasuke says and kisses her cheek.

"You two are so cute together. Pity. I could have had a lot of fun with you, Sasuke. Though I suppose the question now is, who sent the basket? The reason why is rather obvious. They wanted to break you up." Mei observes.

Sasuke sighs and nods. Tragically, there were a lot of people who might want them to break up. He and Hinata both had their fairs hare of admirers. His first thought was obviously Kabuto, but he didn't have any proof.

"We'll find out who did this." Sasuke promises Hinata and she nods in agreement.

All her life people had been controlling her. She was tired of it. If she wanted to be with "Doctor Love," that is exactly what she was going to do.

"I know we will." Hinata whispers back.

* * *

Elsewhere in the hospital, Kabuto was feeling rather pleased with himself. That should probably do the trick. Nothing destroyed a new relationship faster than jealousy.

"Kabuto, what did you do?" Orochimaru asks as he saunters over to the other man.

"I have no idea what you mean." The silver haired doctor lies effortlessly.

Orochimaru frowns. He couldn't believe that his favorite student was lying to his face. It was an insult to his intelligence. If there was one thing that he wouldn't tolerate, it was someone insulting his intelligence.

"I know that you did something to Sasuke and Hinata. This must stop. I hate to see you spiral in this way. You should take the teaching position. You will be much happier there. Forget about Nurse Hyuga. You are a young, talented, and attractive doctor. There are plenty of women who would love to be your companion. There is no need to chase one who isn't interested." He states bluntly.

Kabuto raises an eyebrow. He couldn't believe it. Orochimaru was siding with Sasuke again. Why? Why did he always side with that damn Uchiha?!

"Why do you always defend him? He used you. Sasuke doesn't give a damn about you. I have been your faithful assistant for years. He cast you aside at the first opportunity. Yet, you always rush to his defense. It makes no sense. Are you a masochist?!" Kabuto demands.

Orochimaru sighs. This was getting worse than he thought. He might have to encourage Fugaku to find a reason to fire him. It wouldn't be easy. Kabuto had a spotless work record. Surely, there was something though.

He didn't like to plot against his friend, but this might be for his own good. The Sannin didn't enjoy seeing his assistant spiral in such a fashion. Something had to be done and quickly.

"In this case, he's in the right. If Sasuke wishes to pursue a relationship with her and the feeling is mutual, you do not have the right to interfere. I implore you to think about what you are doing. Right now, you haven't done anything that is irreversible." He reasons.

"I don't have to listen to this! I have a patient scheduled in a few minutes. I'll see you around." He mutters in disgust and storms off.

Orochimaru sighs. Damn it. He might have just made things worse. The elder doctor was at a loss for how to proceed.

* * *

Later that day, Shisui finds Sasuke. He had agreed to speak with him. Itachi would handle Hinata. It was good plan.

"Are you alright? I saw the commotion earlier. Did Mei really send you sexy lingerie?" He inquires.

"Someone sent me sexy lingerie. Mei claims it wasn't her. I believe her. The woman is sex on legs, but she's not the type to try to steal another person's significant other. I think I'm alright. Hinata is pretty shaken up about the whole thing though." Sasuke mutters.

Shisui nods sympathetically. He wasn't sure who was messing with his baby cousin, but it was going to stop now. Uchihas stuck together. If you messed with one of them, you messed with all of them.

"Yeah. It really doesn't seem like Mei's M.O. Someone clearly thought they could frame her though. I don't like it. How are things going with you and Hinata, other than this crazy stalker?" The elder Uchiha asks.

"Pretty good. We aren't exactly at the point where she's flashing me lingerie like that. It'd be nice though." Sauke says with a smirk.

"That's disappointing. Well she does seem like a very good girl. Sometimes it takes awhile for them to become comfortable enough to be a bad girl for a few hours." He says.

Sasuke swats Shisui for that one. Sometimes, he thought that his cousin couldn't function without getting slapped once a day. He did seem to go out of his way to get his slaps for being a pervert.

"She IS a good girl. She really is an angel. We've made out, but it hasn't gone much further. Honestly, I blame Kabuto. I think she's still pretty spooked about the whole thing." He growls in disgust.

"Yeah. Kabuto has been pretty creepy lately. Do you think he's the one that sent the basket?" Shisui asks.

"I think he is. I don't have any proof though." Sasuke says with a sigh.

* * *

Meanwhile Itachi goes and finds Hinata. The nurse had received quite the shock with that sexy gift basket. He couldn't deny that he was worried about how she was handling that.

"Hinata, it's good to see you. Do you have a few moments?" The elder Uchiha brother inquires.

"Hello, Itachi. Yes, I do. What did you need?" The bluenette replies as she follows him into a private room.

"I saw the Gift Basket Incident. Well the second Gift Basket Incident. It's becoming a bit of a pattern really. Are you alright? I hope you don't think that my brother encouraged Mei. She has always had a bit of a crush on him. Though it really is unlike her to make advances towards a man who already is involved in a relationship." He muses.

Hinata blinks. She hadn't been expecting Itachi to launch an intervention. Though she supposed that she should have. He was after all, Sasuke's big brother. It was only natural that he would be protective of Doctor Love.

"I'm alright. It's embarrassing that everyone saw that. I lost my composure. I know that Sasuke wouldn't cheat, but I know that Mei likes him. Naturally, I assumed the worst. We confronted her. She says that she didn't send it and I believe her." Hinata mumbles.

Itachi nods. Well that was good. At least Hinata didn't believe that Sasuke was cheating on her. His foolish, little brother was many things. A cheater was most certainly not one of them though.

"I'm glad that you understand that he didn't encourage her. I must admit that I am inclined to believe Mei as well." The Hospital Administrator states.

Hinata nods in agreement. She believed Mei as well. Still that didn't solve their problems. Someone was clearly trying to break them up.

"Do you have any idea who might have done it?" The Hyuga woman asks.

"My instinct of course is Kabuto. Though finding proof of such a thing is difficult. I am certain that we can find a way to deal with this." He offers.

"I hope so." Hinata says.

Itachi pauses. He wasn't sure how to help his brother in this case. Hinata and Sasuke were already together. Though it seemed their relationship was in an earlier stage than what would be expected. Probably because of this stalker.

"He really does like you, you know? Before you, it had been at least a year since Sasuke had been in a serious relationship. It's not that he's a playboy like Shisui. Sasuke is just rather…picky." Itachi says.

The older Uchiha decides that the direct approach might be best. Hinata seemed like the type of person who would appreciate honesty. That was likely his best bet. The direct approach sometimes could prove to be the most effective.

"I know he likes me. I didn't know that part though." She says in surprise.

It was a bit shocking that someone called Doctor Love, apparently hadn't had much luck finding love before. Then again, Itachi was right. Sasuke was definitely a perfectionist.

"Yes, it surprised me as well. I do hope that it works out between you two. You do seem to compliment each other. I shall keep my eyes open. Perhaps, I'll catch Kabuto in the act." He muses.

"Thank you." Hinata says with a smile.

It was nice to know that Itachi had her back and Sasuke's back. Really, it was comforting in a way. At least they weren't experiencing this alone.

"I should probably get back to work. Thank you, Itachi. I really appreciate your help." She offers.

"Of course. Perhaps you can give him the lingerie next time." Itachi says with a smirk as he darts off.

Hinata blushes scarlet. She couldn't believe that Itachi had said something like that! She would expect it from Shisui, but never the elder Uchiha brother. He had always seemed so professional.

She couldn't imagine wearing something that skimpy in front of Sasuke. She'd probably faint. Though he would probably like it. Maybe.

"I'll worry about that later. We need to find out who is behind all of this. This is getting ridiculous." She mumbles.

All Hinata wanted was a normal life. She wanted a life without worrying about what her aristocratic family would say about her choices. The bluenette wanted a life where she could have a boyfriend and not have to worry about a stalker.

Unfortunately, it seemed that wasn't going to be the case. Well at least not initially. Still she was confident that somehow they could find a way to deal with Kabuto and whoever sent the basket.


	9. A New Chapter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As a new chapter dawns for many of our characters, a new threat looms on the horizon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

A few days later, Hinata was out walking Shadow. She and Sasuke still didn't know who had sent that basket, but she did know one thing. She was definitely being followed.

It was broad daylight though in the middle of a fairly crowed park. So she decides to try to confront whoever was 'stalking' her. She stops moving and soon enough a silver haired man catches up to her.

"Hello. That's a beautiful dog. I've always been a fan of German Shepherds. You must be Hinata?" He asks in a soft voice.

He was probably around her age. He had a good six inches on her in height and exotic light green eyes. There was a red marking on his forehead. Kaguya Clan. They all had that marking on their face.

"Thank you. Yes, I am." The bluenette says and tries to think of a way to excuse herself from this conversation.

She knew that Clan. They had never been caught, but they were another Crime Family. One that was far more aggressive than hers. Hyugas went after money. The Kaguya's seemed to revel in fist and gunfights.

"I'm Kimimaro. Forgive me for startling you." He says with a smile.

"You didn't startle me. Though it is a bit surprising that you knew my name. We have never met before." Hinata replies as she pets Shadow for reassurance.

"Your eyes say you are a Hyuga. That and Lord Hiashi has given me a few of your pictures. He wants our families to become good friends." He continues on.

Hinata blinks. Her father must be out of his mind. He wanted an alliance with the Kaguyas? They were far too brutal. Their styles were nothing like the Hyuga Clan's. The risk of getting caught was far higher when working with such a Clan.

"I see. Well it's always nice to have more friends." She mumbles.

"I truly mean you no harm. I like to think that I have proven it. Kabuto won't be bothering you anymore." The silver haired man informs her.

Her eyes widen. Oh God, no! She didn't like Kabuto and he scared her a bit, but she didn't want him dead.

"Are his eyes still bright?" She whispers.

That was a code that most of the Crime Families would understand. If someone's eyes were still bright, they were alive. It was a subtle reference to the old saying, " ** _The light left their eyes."_** That meant they were dead.

"His eyes are still bright. I merely had a discussion with him where I made it clear that he should pursue other career opportunities. In particular, I suggested that a change of scenery would be beneficial. He's decided to take a teaching position on the other side of the country." The Kaguya man tells her with a serene smile.

"Yes, I think a change of scenery will do him good as well. It was nice meeting you, but I'm afraid I have to be going." Hinata says.

"Of course. Being a nurse is a very demanding occupation." He states.

He knew what she did for a living. Just how much did her father tell him?! Oh God! Oh God! This might not end well.

"Yes, it can be." She agrees and heads off with Shadow.

She knew one thing, she certainly wasn't going to head straight home. The Hyuga woman wasn't going to let him see where she lived. That was of course assuming her father didn't tell him that.

The bluenette was fairly confident he wouldn't do such a thing. But then again she had never thought he would try to ally their family with the Kaguyas. Who knew what was going on in her father's mind anymore?

* * *

Kimimaro watches as Hinata heads off. She was different than he expected. He had seen her picture so he already knew that she was a beauty. But she was also smart enough to be subtle and seemed intent on avoiding conflict. That was odd for a Hyuga, but a trait that he also shared. Perhaps it would be a good match.

"Well at least Kabuto won't be an issue anymore." He mutters to himself as he remembers how he had dealt with his future wife's stalker.

_Kabuto had been walking into the door of his home. That's when Kimimaro struck. He slammed him into the wall quickly and kept him firmly pinned._

_"Hello. I believe you are Kabuto and you work at Sharingan Hospital. Do I have that correct?" He asked pleasantly._

_"Yes. Who the Hell are you and why are you assaulting me?!" The silver haired doctor had thundered at him._

_"I am Kimimaro Kaguya. Hinata doesn't realize this yet, but she is going to be my wife. You see our two families are very close and traditional. Arranged marriages are common in our Clan. I would suggest that you stop harassing her and take that teaching position that is being offered to you." He informed Kabuto._

_The young Kaguya man couldn't help but smirk at the doctor's reaction. All the color drained from his face immediately. He could tell that Kabuto was aware of the rumors swirling around about his family. The doctor also knew that if he knew about his job offer, then he had been watching him very closely._

_It was never a good thing to be watched closely by a member of a Crime Family. Kabuto seemed to realize this rather quickly. Idly, Kimimaro thought that this might be easier than he had anticipated._

_"I had no idea that such an arrangement was in the works. I would never steal another man's wife." Kabuto told him._

_"You are a liar. I am well aware of the relationship going on between Sasuke Uchiha and Hinata. You were certainly trying to steal her from him. Unlike you, I don't hold a grudge against him. Once Sasuke is informed that she is taken, I am certain he will see reason. He couldn't possibly have known that she was promised to me. You on the other hand, have shown a pattern of deceptiveness." He continued._

_Kabuto gulped. Kimimaro found his smirk growing wider. It was fun to terrify this man. Usually, he didn't enjoy the intimidation aspect of his "job." For this worm though, he would make an exception._

_"You know that he's rather attached to her. Sasuke isn't going to end things with your future wife that easily." Kabuto warned him._

_"I can not blame him for being fond of Hinata. I shall deal with that issue later. For now, I sincerely suggest you take that job. I'm giving you one chance to escape with your life. My family is not very pleased with your most recent behavior. You wouldn't like to see what happens when they get angry." Kaguya said as he let go of Kabuto._

_Kabuto quickly take out his phone and makes a phone call. Kaguya witnessed him accept the job offer. He nodded approvingly and left._

"Insects can be so irritating." He mutters to himself.

* * *

A few hours later, Hinata finds Sasuke. She was grateful that neither of them had to work today. She rushes over to him in a panic.

"Hinata, easy. Easy. What's wrong?" Sasuke asks and blinks as he observes how rattled she was.

"It's a long story." She mumbles.

"I got time. Come on. I'll take you back to my place." He says as he opens the door of his car for her to get in.

Hinata quickly does so. Sasuke drives them back to his home. It wasn't long after that that he, Hinata, and Shadow were inside.

"What's going on?" He demands.

"I saw a Kaguya. His name is Kimimaro. I was at the park, walking Shadow when he approached me." The Hyuga woman explains in a rush.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. He could see why that would spook Hinata. There were a lot of rumors about the Kaguyas being involved in many violent crimes, but nothing he had ever been proven.

"I can see why that might scare you, but you were at the park. Kaguyas aren't stupid enough to attack in broad daylight. I've heard things about that family. Terrible things. But they aren't stupid enough to risk getting caught." He assures her.

Hinata shakes her head. He didn't understand. How could she possibly explain everything about her family? Would Sasuke want her to turn them in? Would he want anything to do with her.

"My father has been trying to make friends with them. I have a secret. I just wanted to leave that life behind me, but it looks like it's caught up with me. You might want to sit down. I don't know how to tell you this, but I have to." She mumbles.

Sasuke tilts his head to the side. Wisely, he sits down. He pulls Hinata into his lap and kisses the top of her head in a comforting fashion.

"Whatever it is, you can tell me. I'm not going to judge YOU based on what your family did or does." Sasuke promises.

"My family is involved in a lot of white collar crime. They are a Crime Family. The Kaguyas are as well, but they specialize in more traditional crime. The violent kind." She confesses.

"I have to admit that I suspected that some of that money was dirty. It doesn't matter to me though. You're the one that I'm with. Not your family. You disowned yourself. It doesn't matter. Don't worry about it." The raven haired man tells her.

Hinata shakes her head. She wished that it were that simple. She truly did, but she knew better than to believe that.

"That's not all. My father wants to make an alliance with the Kaguyas. He wants me to marry Kimimaro. He seems to think that I am going to agree to it. Kimimaro claims he convinced Kabuto to take a teaching position that was offered to him. He told me that Kabuto won't be bothering me anymore." Hinata stammers.

Sasuke almost did a double take. He had never known Hinata to lie. So he believed every word she said. Still the tale that she had just told him was so surreal.

"And you're worried that he won't react well, when he finds out that you are already taken?" Doctor Love asks softly.

"Yes. I don't want to get hurt. I'm so sorry, Sasuke. I never meant to drag you into all this. I wanted to leave that life behind me. We all did. Me, Neji, and Hanabi were going to leave and start all over." The nurse says.

Sasuke shakes his head and wraps his arms around Hinata. None of this was her fault. He damn sure wasn't going to be scared off by a group of organized thugs.

"Hinata, I'm not going to hold what your family does against you. I understand being scared, but you shouldn't blame yourself. None of this is your fault. We'll figure out a way to deal with this. Together. That's if you still want to." He tells her.

"You mean it? Sasuke, do you understand what these people are capable of? They are all a bunch of cold-blooded killers." Hinata warns him.

The young doctor nods. Oh yes, he fully understood what they were capable of. He just wasn't going to let fear control his life.

"I understand. I just don't care. They get off on intimidating people to put it mildly. Let's not give them the satisfaction. Though you might want to call your father. Perhaps this can be straightened out." Sasuke suggest.

Hinata shakes her head. No, that wouldn't work. Even if her father tried to tell Kimimaro that the match wasn't going through, his family would be furious. That would just lead to a gang war.

"That would only make things worse." She mumbles.

"I hate to see you like this. I don't like seeing you so afraid. It's going to be alright." Sasuke promises and kisses her cheek.

The Hyuga woman smiles sadly. Sasuke was being very supportive and comforting, but he couldn't possibly know what he was getting himself into. The smartest thing she could do to protect him, would be to break up with him. It was selfish, but she couldn't do it.

"I don't like it either." She admits.

"Move in with me." Sasuke says simply and Hinata's eyes widen.

"What?!" Hinata asks in a stunned voice.

She couldn't possibly have heard him right. Was Sasuke out of his mind? There was already a big enough target on his back by dating her. If the Kaguya's found out that she was living with him, she shuddered to think about what might happen.

"I said move in with me. At least temporarily. Hanabi and Neji can as well. I know you have a security system and Shadow, but I don't think it's enough. I'd feel better, if I could see you. This is getting dangerous, Hinata." Sasuke reasons.

"You'd really let Neji and Hanabi move in as well?" She asks.

"Their lives are possibly in danger as well. It doesn't make much sense to split you all up. Besides, it's only temporary. For now, it seems like this would be safer." Doctor love says as he caresses her cheek.

Hinata nods as she ponders this. Maybe she should talk to Hanabi and Neji about it. Kimimaro might know where she lived, but that didn't necessarily mean he knew about Sasuke.

"I'd say that it would put you in more danger, but just being with me does that. Are you sure you really want to risk this?" She whispers.

"Hinata, I've never been more sure about anything in my life. You're worth the risk." He says and kisses her forehead.

* * *

The next day, Kabuto heads into Mikoto and Fugaku's office. He sighs as he prepares to give them his two weeks notice. He couldn't believe that it had come to this. Still he wasn't going to risk irritating a Crime Family.

"I have decided to accept a teaching position. It's far away. So I won't be able to continue my duties at this hospital. It was a pleasure working here, but I feel that it is time for me to move on." He says simply.

Mikoto and Fugaku blink. Kabuto was leaving? He was leaving voluntarily? Both of them were rather stunned.

"I am sorry to hear that. You were one of our best doctors. I hope that you find happiness in this new chapter of your life." Fugaku offers with a smile.

On the inside, he was doing cartwheels and jumping for joy. The young doctor would no longer be around to make life difficult for Sasuke and Hinata. This was fantastic news.

Of course, professionalism dictated a certain degree of decorum. Kabuto really was a wonderful doctor. It was a shame that he allowed his personal desires to control him in such a way. Perhaps he'd be happier as a teacher.

"Thank you. That's very kind of you to say." He replies.

"We shall all miss you. Good luck with your teaching job. I'm sure that you will make a fine professor and it's at such a prestigious university. You must be very proud." Mikoto offers with a kind smile.

On the inside, she was having a similar reaction to husband. Mikoto was so relieved that Kabuto was leaving. Things might settle down now.

"I am very proud. I hope that Sharingan will continue to thrive in my absence. Now, if you'll excuse me, I would like to say my goodbyes to Orochimaru. He has been such an inspiration to me for all these years. It pains me to leave him, but one has to leave the nest eventually." The silver haired man says and the Uchihas nod their heads in agreement as he heads off.

"Can you believe it? He's actually leaving of his own free will?" Mikoto asks her husband.

Fugaku nods. It was hard for him to believe. It almost felt too good to be true. Of course, he wasn't going to argue with such good fortune.

"I know. Well let's not jinx it. I won't fully believe it, until he is no longer here. Sasuke and Hinata are going to be so happy about this." He says with a smile.

"This calls for a celebration. I think I still have my old uniform…" She muses.

"Really?" Fugaku asks hopefully and she nods with a giggle.

* * *

A short while later, Sasuke blinks when he saw Naruto in his office. What the Hell was he doing here? He glances at him up and down. Hmm he didn't look hurt or sick.

"Check up?" He asks.

"Not exactly. I was trying to cook for one of my dates. It didn't go so well. I got burned." He admits.

Sasuke shakes his head. Only Naruto. The man really should know better. He could barely boil water without it turning into a catastrophe.

"It's the though that counts, but you should just stick to restaurants or takeout. You're good at a lot of things, but cooking just isn't one of them. We both know that." Doctor Love notes with amusement as he examines Naruto's hands.

They were pretty bad. Hardly life threatening, but Sasuke could see why the blonde had decided to seek out medical treatment. He quickly begins caring for his friend.

"You messed yourself up good." He mutters.

"Yeah. I guess so. So how are things with you and Hinata?" Naruto asks brightly.

Sasuke makes a snort of amusement. Of course, Naruto would ask that. He fancied himself a professional matchmaker now that he realized his two friends were dating. The youngest Uchiha was starting to wonder if it might be going to the other man's head a little bit too much.

"It's a long story. Her family doesn't exactly approve of our relationship." He admits.

"What? Why wouldn't they approve? I mean for Godsakes, you're a doctor. Most people are really happy when their kid starts seeing a doctor!" Naruto protests.

That didn't make any sense. Sasuke was usually really good with the parents of whoever he was seeing. He was a bastard, but he knew when not to be. So why wouldn't Hinata's family approve of Sasuke?

"Idiot. Remember you were the one that told me she had disowned herself from her family. You know what they are like." His friend reminds him.

"Oh right, but still. They don't have a right to complain. They were horrible to her, Neji, and Hanabi. The three of them left for a good reason. Hinata's family needs to but out." He says firmly with a nod.

Sasuke couldn't help but agree with that assessment. Still he knew that it wasn't that simple. It would be nice if it was, but life was far more complicated than that.

He had finally found someone who he wanted to be with. Unfortunately, that came with a catch. She came from a Crime Family. A Crime Family that wanted her to marry into another gang.

"Yeah. I agree. Anyway, try not to beat yourself up again." He says with a smirk.

"You are such a bastard. I don't know how she puts up with you." The blonde scoffs.

Hinata laughs. She walks into the room and is soon at Sasuke's side. She quickly glances at Naruto's hands.

"Naruto, those are pretty bad. Make sure to care for them properly. Here are some instructions for proper burn care." Hinata says as she hands him a sheet of paper.

"Yeah. Thanks, Hinata. By the way, it's nice of you to overlook his bastardlyness." He chirps merrily.

Sasuke rolls his eyes. That wasn't even a real word. Naruto had a habit of making up words when he wanted to insult someone playfully. It was a bit annoying really.

"Oh he's not "bastardly" to me. Sasuke, is very nice. Well he's very nice when he wants to be." Hinata says with a smile and kisses Doctor Love's cheek.

"I'll have to take your word for it. I've known him for years, but he's never changed. Maybe it's just because you are a woman." Naruto observes thoughtfully and Sasuke gives him a light whack upside the head.

"Maybe you just like getting beaten up. You better get going. We have another patient scheduled in ten minutes and somehow, I think you'll live." Sasuke tells him.

Naruto rubs the back of his head. It didn't really hurt, but he wanted to ham it up a bit. It would be funny to see Hinata's reaction.

"His bedside manner sucks, doesn't it?" He asks with a laugh.

"Naruto, behave." Hinata says as she shakes her head in amusement at her friend's antics.

The blonde shrugs. What fun was that? Behaving wasn't any fun. It was so boring. Besides, people needed to lighten up sometimes!

"Nah. You know me better than that. I'll see you guys later. Remember if it's a boy to name it after me. I mean I did set you guys up!" He informs them as he darts off.

"He is SUCH a loser sometimes." Sasuke says and blinks when there was a loud thud.

That's when he looked around and realizes that Hinata had fainted. Thankfully, she had fainted on the exam table and she hadn't hit the floor. Still that was a bit concerning.

"Hinata?" He asks softly as she tries to wake her up.

* * *

A few minutes later, she woke up. As far as Sasuke could tell, his girlfriend was fine. It seemed she just got flustered by Naruto's comment.

"Sorry. I um faint sometimes when I get embarrassed. I don't know why. I've just always been that way. I thought that I had outgrown it, but I guess I haven't." She confesses.

"That's kinda dangerous. You could fall and hurt your head." Sasuke states.

Hinata nods. It was a little concerning, but she was used to it. She blushes when she felt Sasuke wraps his arms around her in a tight embrace.

"It's alright. I'm fine." She mumbles.

"This time. Just be careful. At least we don't have to deal with Kabuto anymore." He mutters and Hinata nods.

Unfortunately, she had a feeling that the Kaguyas were going to be a much bigger challenge than Kabuto. The silver haired doctor was a creep and maybe a bit of a stalker, but she didn't think that he was REALLY dangerous. She couldn't' say that about the Kaguyas.

She knew that they were dangerous. Sasuke knew that too. He was just putting on a brave face for her benefit, but he wasn't fooling her. The Hyuga woman knew that her boyfriend was just as worried as she was.

"That's something at least. I talked to Neji and Hanabi. They think it would be a good idea for us to stay with you for awhile as well." She says.

"Good. I'm glad. This way, I'll know that you are safe. I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I promise." He says.

"I know. Somehow, we'll fix this. I just don't know how yet, exactly." She mumbles as she buries her face into his neck.


	10. An Option

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata and Sasuke take their relationship to the next level. Friends and foes alike are scheming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
> 
> Chapter Notation: I'm not sure what Kimimaro's father's name was. So I made one up.

The good news? Hinata, Hanabi, and Neji had successfully moved into his home. The bad news? Well when you lived with someone, certain situations were bound to occur. So the bad news was now Hinata probably thought he was some kind of pervert. It had only taken four days after she moved in for this incident to occur.

He had gotten an eyeful. Sasuke was used to living on his own. So he hadn't bothered to knock when he went into the bathroom. Hinata had been in the shower. To put it mildly, he saw EVERYTHING. (And there was a lot to see)!

"SASUKE!" She squeaks and draws the shower curtain closer.

"I'm sorry. I should have knocked. I'm just used to living alone. I'm sorry, Hinata." He says in a rush.

On one hand, he thought this was somewhat ridiculous. They had been dating for awhile. By now, in most of his other relationships, he would have already become the woman's lover. On the other hand, Hinata was going through A LOT right now and it seemed rather selfish to try to _encourage_ her in that respect.

"It's okay. You just surprised me is all. It was an accident." She mumbles.

"Yeah. I'm still sorry though." Sasuke says.

He meant that. The woman had had to deal with two crazy stalkers recently. Kabuot and a member of the Kaguya Clan. He had probably frightened her half to death.

Hinata bites her lower lip. She could hear the guilt in Sasuke's voice. He hadn't done it on purpose.

"It's alright. Do you want to join me? Hanabi and Neji went out for breakfast." She whispers shyly.

She DID want to be with him. Hinata was just a shy person when it came to her sexuality. The Hyuga woman blamed it on her upbringing as much as anything really.

"Joining is an option?" Sasuke asks hopefully and Hinata peeks her head out from behind the curtain long enough to nod it in confirmation.

"For you, it's an option." The bluenette informs him.

Not even thirty seconds later, Hinata was marveling at her boyfriend's speed. He had stripped and gotten behind her in the shower in less than a minute. Maybe Doctor Love should have considered trying out for the Olympics.

**Warning Lime**

"Good to know." Sasuke says as he enjoys the visual feast that was a very naked Hinata.

As far as he could tell, there wasn't one inch of her skin that didn't fascinate him. She had beautiful creamy, silky looking skin that looked so touchable. The fact that she had ample, firm breasts with rosy pink nipples was also arousing his _interest._

As his gaze dares to drift further south, he noticed that she had a soft toned belly, a slender back, and the seductive curve of her hips fanned out into a deliriously tempting backside. He also suddenly discovered a new appreciation for legs.

"Mhm." She says as she leans back into him encouragingly.

Hinata was glad that her back was to him. Her face was likely redder than his beloved tomatoes. He wasn't exactly being shy about where his gaze was focused.

"God, you're beautiful. I definitely get the sexy nurse fantasy now." Sasuke murmurs appreciatively as he slowly soaps up her breasts and places a soft kiss on her shoulder.

Oh yes, she was definitely blushing as red as a tomato now. She squirms in surprise when she felt his "helpful" administrations. A shower had never been so erotic and embarrassing before.

"As long as I'm the only n-urse you are fantasizing about, that's okay." Hinata dares herself to say.

"Trust me, you are the ONLY woman on my mind right now and I don't see that changing." He promises as he continues bestowing upon her neck more kisses and lathering her in soap.

It did feel nice. He was touching her in such a gentle, sensual fashion. Hinata vaguely wonders if that was his default mode or if he was afraid of "spooking" her. She decides it didn't matter at the moment and closes her eyes in contentment.

"Good." She murmurs.

"I want prove it to you, if you want." He whispers hotly into her ear as his hides begin to glide lower.

There really wasn't any mistaking his intention there. Hinata was torn. It wasn't everyday that you had a gorgeous, naked doctor behind you in the shower. A doctor who was apparently more than willing to fulfill more than a few of your secret fantasies.

"They'll be back soon. We don't want to get caught. We have maybe a half hour." She warns him.

"A half hour? That's not nearly long enough. I want our first time together to be savored, not just a heated rush. Heated rushes can be fun though. Still that's no reason that I can't give you a preview." He muses.

Hinata wasn't looking directly at him, but somehow she just knew. She just knew that he was smirking. At that moment, she was damn glad that he had a firm grip on her. Her legs felt like jello.

"A preview?" She asks.

"Yeah. We can't have the full meal in that amount of time, but there's no reason we can't have an appetizer or two." Sasuke informs her and turns her around, capturing her lips with his own.

Hinata kisses back. Well when he put it that way, maybe it would hurt. Just a nibble or two.

That's when he deepened the kiss and grabbed her ass. Hinata amends that. Maybe a nibble or three. It felt nice to be held this way by him. It was a bit on the lewd side, but there was no denying that he made her feel very much desired.

"A preview sounds fun." She whispers after breaking the kiss.

"Good. Tell me what you like and what you don't." He instructs her as rubs her womanhood with one hand and her clit with another.

Hinata gasps and moans. The bluenette bucks against his talented touch. That felt good. Really, really good.

"I l-ike that." She tells him as Hinata shyly reaches for his arousal.

"Good." Sasuke says as he continues teasing his favorite sexy nurse.

She takes him into her hand and begins to gently stroke him. The bluenette felt rather smug when she heard his breath hitch and him moan. It was a rush to know that she could impact HIM this way.

"Really good." She whispers into his ear and strokes him faster, moaning when he returns the favor.

Sasuke hadn't expected Hinata to be that bold. He definitely wasn't going to complain though. Her soft, silky hands felt so good there. Her touch was gentle, but her hands were moving quickly. It was an erotic contrast of soothing and desperate need.

He briefly takes a moment to admire how the water shimmered on her fair skin and her rosy cheeks. Her face was flushed with desire and likely a blush. She really was the most innocent, naughty nurse that he had ever met.

"So does that." He growls lustfully at her as his touches become more insistent.

Hinata moans and leans into him. Her breasts were pressed against his chest and hips swaying in time with his teasing administrations, while she continues coaxing him closer and closer to his own release. She could feel her lower half pulsing with desire and knew it wouldn't be long until she came.

"I like it when you growl." Hinata confesses as she moves her hand faster and Sasuke slides a single digit inside her.

It didn't take long after that for his talented fingers to bring her to release. It was like she was a violin and he knew exactly how to manipulate her strings to achieve the desired result. She moans as her orgasm overtakes her and Sasuke soon joins her, spilling his own release.

He quickly removes his fingers and kisses her again. Hinata moans into the kiss and Sasuke was debating about seeing what else might be an option, when he heard a car pull into the driveway. He glances out the window and sees it was Neji's. Damn it.

**End Lime**

Sasuke quickly turns off the water and helps Hinata get dressed. Both of them throw on their clothes and dart out of the bathroom. They made it to the couch with about a minute to spare and even had the tv turned on, just as Neji walks into the door.

"I guess it must have been raining earlier and I didn't even notice. You two are soaked." He muses as he heads off.

Once he was out of earshot, they both burst out laughing. Sasuke couldn't believe that they had just done that. They had just both acted like a pair of teenagers who were trying not to get caught by their parents.

"I can't believe that we got away with that." He says with a smirk.

"I can't believe he thought it was rainwater. Do you think that counts as lying?" Hinata asks Sasuke in concern.

He shakes his head. No. It didn't count as lying. For it to be a lie, they would have to actually respond to his observation. Besides, he really didn't want to have to deal with an overprotective cousin. It was better just to let him assume things in this case.

"It's not lying. He didn't ask us if it was from rain. Neji just jumped to conclusions." He says reassuringly.

* * *

Meanwhile Kimimaro had returned to his family home. Currently, he was engaged in a conversation with his father. He wanted to know how his first meeting with Hinata went.

"She seems very nice. I do have concerns about her temperament though. I'm not certain if she is really suited to our more aggressive lifestyle." He muses.

"Well, she is going to be your wife. She won't be going out on heists. That doesn't really matter much. Do you like her though?" His father demands.

Kimimaro nods. She was certainly attractive. It seemed like she also liked animals. He generally considered that to be a good sign. Plus she was intelligent. You had to be, if you were going to be a nurse. There was so much that you had to learn to enter that profession.

"I think she'll be a good wife. I did speak with Kabuto. I believe that he understood my point of view and won't be a factor anymore. Sasuke could be another matter." He says with a sigh.

"Hopefully, he will be reasonable. He's an Uchiha. That's a high profile family. It won't be as easy to ice him as it would for most people. Still we can manage it, if it comes to it." Kozu assures him.

Kimimaro nods. He did hope that such drastic measures wouldn't be necessary. Murdering your future wife's ex, was not the most romantic way to begin the courtship process.

"I suppose we shall simply see how events unfold. I'm not going to fret over it though. These things have a way of working out." He replies.

His family had been involved in crime for as far back as any of them could remember. Kimimaro found it difficult to imagine any other type of life. It was only natural in his mind, that he would continue the family business and take a wife. A wife who would help him continue his family's legacy.

Hinata seemed like a good choice. Certainly, he was aware that he had gotten off rather easily. Many other members of his Clan had gotten married off to people they found far less appealing than he found her. He decides to count his blessings and to begin the process of winning her over.

"I'm certain that you will be able to win her over." Kozu states.

"Thank you, father. Your faith in me is very touching and I promise that I will not let you or our family down." The younger Kaguya vows.

Kozu nods. He hands Kimimaro a folder. Curious, he opens it. The young man blinks at what he saw.

"It's a file on your future wife. It has all sorts of useful information on her. All the way from basic facts such as her birthday to her likes and dislikes. Surely, there will be something in that folder that you will find useful." He explains.

"That's very thoughtful of you, father. Thank you. I shall take my leave now and give this a more thorough read." Kimimaro says with a smile.

"Of course." Kozu says and watches as his son leaves with the folder in his hand.

This was the start of a new era. Their alliance with the Hyugas would make them almost unbeatable. He couldn't help but feel proud of himself for coming up with the idea.

Of course it would take awhile to arrange the wedding. That was fine though. Kimimaro would likely want some time to get to know his future wife anyway.

* * *

The next day, Hinata and Sasuke were back at work. Apparently, Sakura needed an extra pair of hands today, so Sasuke was going to be on his own for patients.

"I'll just see you at lunch. It's alright. I prefer having you to assist me, but I can handle one day." Sasuke informs her and gives her a quick kiss.

Hinata smiles. She returns the kiss. Well it was only one day. She was sure that Sasuke would manage.

"Alright. I'll see you at lunch then?" The bluenette asks and her boyfriend nods his head in agreement.

"Of course. Have fun with Sakura." He says as he heads off to his office.

Sakura couldn't believe it. Everyone was still getting used to it really. Doctor Love had finally found a lover. Well Sakura assumed they were lovers anyway.

"Alright. So follow me. We are very busy today. There was a school bus crash. No one was killed, but there are a lot of people getting checked out. The worst injuries seem to be a couple broken arms." She says as she leads Hinata off.

Hinata nods. That did sound serious. She follows the Head Nurse without compliant.

"So things between you and Sasuke seem to be going well. What's THAT like?" The other nurse asks.

The Hyuga woman frowns. She wasn't really sure she should be sharing personal information like that. The other women all clearly loved gossip and she was pretty sure that anything she said was going to be spreading around the hospital faster than a wildfire.

"I don't know, if I should tell you. I mean…that's kinda private." She mumbles.

"Oh it's just girl talk. I doubt anything you say is going to be more shocking than what we were all thinking." Sakura assures her.

Hinata pauses. Well maybe she should throw them a bone. That way they would know that Sasuke was her boyfriend and not to try to steal him from her. She still wasn't particularly happy about the Mei incident.

Mei hadn't been trying to steal Sasuke, but someone else might. Of course, she knew that the Kabuto and Kaguya Clan situation couldn't be easy for him to deal with either. Jealousy was a two-way street, it seemed.

"Well, he's a really good kisser." She offers.

"We all kinda figured that. Is that all he's good at though?" She asks.

"No. He's very good at other things." Hinata admits with a blush and Sakura smirks triumphantly.

Hinata was sure it had more to do with finding something juicy to add to the rumor mill than anything else. She didn't really mind though. People knew they were together. Let Sakura assume what she wanted.

"We should probably help those people in the bus crash. It's not nice to keep them waiting all day." Hinata says as they head off.

"You're right. That was unprofessional of me. It's just you two are the most interesting thing to happen in this hospital for awhile." Sakura admits.

SMACK. A loud smack was heard. Both nurses look around started to see what had just happened.

"That is no way to speak to a lady." Neji's irritated voice is heard saying.

"Neji, he was just being well Shisui." Tenten protests and Shisui was currently nursing a rapidly swelling cheek.

Hinata shakes her head. Well it was bound to happen sooner or later. Everyone knew that Shisui was a flirt. Apparently, he had crossed some line though. She was well aware that her cousin had feelings for the cute lab technician. It was only a matter of time before he acted on them.

"It was just some harmless flirting. Sheesh. If you like her that much, you should just man up and ask her out already." Shisui grumbles.

Uh oh. Thems there were fighting words. Hinata rushes over. The bluenette knew that if she didn't, a fight was likely to erupt. She liked Shisui and more importantly, she liked her cousin.

He could get fired, if things escalated much more. So yeah, she had no choice. Hinata had to step in.

"Shisui, stop provoking him. Neji, don't hit him again. You should know that is workplace violence. You could lose your job over that." She chastises them both.

Neji sighs. Hinata was right of course. Still Shisui had that one coming for awhile. Honestly, the man flirted with everyone who might wear a skirt sometimes.

"You're right. I shouldn't have struck you, Shisui. I apologize. But you owe an apology to Tenten for your extremely inappropriate behavior." He says with a growl.

"Alright. That's fair, I guess. Tenten, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable." Shisui replies.

Tenten sighs in relief. Thank God. That could have spiraled out of control and quickly. At least now she knew that she wasn't going to be responsible for getting Neji fired or one of them going to the Emergency Room.

"It's alright. Just don't do it again. Neji, would you like to have lunch with me?" She asks with a smile.

"I'd love to have lunch with you." He says.

Just then, Lee comes limping down the hall. He was a very energetic police officer, who had gotten hurt on the job. He was still recovering from a broken leg, but that didn't seem to slow him down much.

"The power of youth and love is beautiful! I knew that you two would eventually get together!" The cheerful patient exclaims with a bright smile.

Hinata, Neji, and Tenten rub the backs of their heads sheepishly. Really, what could you say to Lee? He was very friendly, but he was also eccentric. Extremely eccentric.

"Um thanks Lee." Tenten and Neji say before darting off.

* * *

A short while later, Hinata joins Sasuke for lunch. The bluenette was briefing him on the bus crash and on her cousin's life. Sasuke raises an eyebrow in amusement at that last part.

"Maybe they'll be having their own shower fun soon." He says with a smirk as he bites into his cheeseburger.

Hinata blushes a brilliant shade of scarlet at THAT comment. She couldn't believe that he had said that while they were at work. Sasuke looks particularly pleased with himself at her flustered reaction.

"Sasuke!" She scolds him.

"What? It's true. I'm happy for them. God knows they have been dancing around each other for ages. Maybe he'll be less overprotective, if he's got his own lover to attend to." The youngest Uchiha reasons.

The Hyuga woman just shakes her head. Honestly, what was she going to do with him? Most of the time, he was a complete professional and gentleman. Then there would be times like these. Times where he proved that he definitely as related to his more flirtatious cousin.

"You are bad sometimes." Hinata notes with amusement.

"You can always punish me later." Sasuke informs her and kisses her forehead.

Hinata squeaks. She wasn't sure exactly what Sasuke meant by that. Still it sounded incredibly suggestive and brought to mind images of their earlier encounter.

"Maybe, I will." She mumbles as she sips her drink.

"I look forward to it." Her boyfriend informs her with a smirk that was growing to be a rather familiar occurrence.

* * *

Elsewhere, Itachi shakes his head in amusement. Shisui was being a big baby. Honestly, if he were in Neji's position, he probably would have decked Shisui awhile ago.

"You knew that he liked her. You knew that he was within earshot. So why on Earth would you provoke him like that?" The other Uchiha demands.

"Oh it hurts like Hell, but it was worth it. It got them to finally make a move on each other. That's me, Sharingan Hospital's resident matchmaker." He says smugly.

Itachi raises an eyebrow. He wondered if his cousin had ever actually been interested in the lab technician or if this was all just an elaborate plot. An elaborate plot to get them together.

"So you deliberately flirted with her to infuriate him. You did this with the hopes that it would cause them to act on their mutually shared attraction?" The Hospital Administrator inquires.

"Yup! It worked like a charm too. You can't really argue with the results. They are going to have lunch together." The sneaky Uchiha tells cheerfully reasons.

Itachi shakes his head. Shisui was either half crazy or an evil mastermind. Either way, well Shisui was right. The other Uchiha couldn't really argue with the results. It had worked.

"I don't know whether to applaud your creativity or be mildly disturbed. I suppose I shall settle on both." He replies.

"Oh come on. It was genius and you know it." Shisui protests.

Itachi chuckles. There was one thing that he knew for certain. It was that there would never be a dull moment in the Sharingan Hospital as long as Shisui Uchiha was around.

"Yes, I suppose there was a certain genius-like quality to it. If you were any more of a genius, your ass would likely be in the Emergency Room. So I do hope you don't have anymore of these foolish notions in your mind." Itachi warns him.

"Not at the moment, but I'm sure that I will think of something." He states and Itachi sighs as he mentally braces himself for whatever mischief Shisui would come up with next.


	11. A Place to Crash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After things take a dangerous turn, Hinata and Sasuke are in need of a new place to crash.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you enjoy this chapter.

A few days later, Sasuke's eyes narrow. He had made a quick run to the store to pick up a few things. He was on his way home. The youngest Uchiha knew that he was being followed.

He heads to the park. Sasuke parks his car and gets out. He casually walks around the park for awhile. Doctor Love wanted his stalker to think he was just going for a walk in the park. It worked.

"You picked the wrong guy to try to mug, asshole." Sasuke mutters as he whirls around, grabs the other man by the arm, and throws him over his shoulder.

Kimimaro blinks as he looks up at Sasuke. That was impressive. Alright. He had to give him that much. He shouldn't have underestimated his 'opponent.'

"Do you always attack random people?" He asks in amusement.

"I see that Mark on your forehead. We both know this wasn't random. You're a Kaguya." Sasuke hisses.

Hmm. That was interesting. He was perceptive. Oh well. There was still a chance Sasuke would see reason. He would rather not have to start his relationship with Hinata on a sour note. Killing her ex, would be a very sour note.

"You're good. Well I won't insult your intelligence. I'll just be blunt." The silver haired man says as he rises to his feet.

"Go ahead. Give me a reason to kick your ass again." The Uchiha practically snarls at him.

Kimimaro smirks. He had to admire the other man's fighting spirit. It was a pity his last name was Uchiha and not Kaguya. He would have made an excellent member of their gang.

"You got lucky. I wasn't expecting you to be so aware of your environment. That won't happen again." The green eyed man says as he slams Sasuke into a tree.

Sasuke grunts in pain. Damn it. This freak was really strong. He knew that he was going to get some bruises out of this encounter at a minimum.

"You sound a little defensive. What didn't they teach you any defense classes back at your cult? Oh wait. You actually call them your family." Sasuke growls as he slams his knee into Kimimaro's gut.

The silver haired man was forced to take a step or two back. The pain just drew an instinctive response. So that's the way he wanted to play it? Sasuke actually wanted to fight him?

"From what I've observed about you, you are an honorable enough man. You just didn't understand that Hinata was already spoken for. If you back off, I'll just ignore your existence and no one needs to get hurt. That would be my preference." He states.

"Oh it would? Would it? Well my preference would be for you and your creepy family to quit stalking my girlfriend and leave us the fuck alone. She doesn't know who you are. She wants nothing to do with you. She disowned herself from the Hyuga Clan because of crazy shit like this!" The doctor thunders at him and lunges at Kimimaro.

Kimimaro dodges and swiftly sends a kick to Sasuke's chest, crushing one of his ribs. The Uchiha falls down and coughs up some blood. The silver haired man smirks and stalks over to him.

"You're good. It's not your fault. I've been trained for war since I was a baby. You're just a doctor. Still, it's touching that you were willing to die for her. You do realize fighting me was suicidal, don't you?" He says as he leans over Sasuke.

"You talk too much. Never underestimate your opponent." Sasuke says as he reaches down into his pocket and pulls out a gun.

He fires off a shot to Kimimaro's shoulder. He knew that it was likely the start of a war. The entire Kaguya Clan was probably going to want revenge. Maybe he should have aimed for the heart.

"AHHH!" Kimimaro roars in pain and jumps back, clutching his shoulder.

"I knew that you were stalking her. Did you really think that I was going to be dumb enough not to take precautions? If you're smart, you'll drop this. She doesn't want you." Sasuke says as he darts off.

* * *

Kimimaro's eyes widen as he realizes that the sound of a gunshot was likely going to attract attention. He quickly clutches his shoulder and races to his car. Driving with a bullet in one of his shoulder's wasn't going to be easy, but he had to do it.

He knew that going to a hospital was out of the question. He'd have to explain what happened. Kimimaro wasn't dumb enough to do that. So that meant he had to drive home.

Kozu blinks when he saw his son race back into their home. His shoulder was bleeding badly. Immediately, he rushes to his aid.

"What happened?" He demands.

"I got shot. I need medical attention immediately." His son informs him and Kozu takes him to see their personal physician.

When you belonged to a Crime Family, seeking out conventional medical care was not advised. There were often too many questions that had to be answered. So they had their own doctors and medical supplies.

"Who shot you?" He demands.

"Don't worry. I will handle this myself. It's personal. I don't want the rest of the family to interfere. My honor is at stake and I will defend it myself. Rest assured, this is nothing more than a minor, painful setback." Kimimaro mutters in disgust.

He couldn't believe that he had let his guard down like that. Kimimaro had gotten cocky. He should have realized that Sasuke would have gotten a gun after he had introduced himself to Hinata.

It was likely that as soon as their conversation ended, she had run right back to her boyfriend. Hinata had probably told him everything. Kimimaro couldn't blame her. It was the natural response.

"Very well. If you change your mind, you know you can always count on us. We all love a good fight." His father assures him as Kimimaro is put under while his surgery begins.

* * *

Meanwhile Sasuke winces in pain as he makes his way back to the hospital. He struggles to come up with a good excuse why he likely had a broken rib or two. He decides that a mugging gone bad was the most reasonable.

He knew that he certainly couldn't tell them the truth. He bites his lower lip as he debates about whether or not he should tell Hinata. On one hand, he didn't want to worry her. On the other, she had a right to know and he didn't want to keep secrets from her.

"Sasuke! What's wrong?!" Mikoto says as she rushes over to her baby, when she sees him come staggering into the hospital.

"Mugging gone bad. I fought them off. Probably have a broken rib, maybe two or three." He admits.

Mikoto rushes over and gets him to one of their doctors. An hour or so later, Hinata comes walking down the hallway. She blinks when she saw Mikoto, Itachi, Shisui, and Fugaku standing outside the door of one of the hospital rooms.

"What happened?" She asks.

"Sasuke was attacked by a mugger. He fought them off. We think he has a couple broken bones. Ribs." Itachi explains.

"Oh God! How badly is he hurt? Is there internal bleeding?!" The bluenette demands desperately.

Fugaku places a hand on the nurse's shoulder comfortingly. He knew that Hinata was worried about Sasuke. She and Sasuke had grown closer recently.

"There doesn't seem to be, but he's getting checked out rather thoroughly just to be on the safe side." Itachi explains.

Hinata nods. She glances into the room fretfully just as Sasuke begins to walk out. He rubs the back of his head sheepishly when he notices the grand procession outside waiting for him.

"It's alright. Just a couple broken bones. I'll be fine." The raven haired man says as Hinata rushes over and holds him.

"AHH! HINATA! Not so tightly! Broken ribs!" He cries out.

"Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you! I'm just so relieved that you are alright. What happened? Your family said that you were attacked by a mugger?" She asks.

Sasuke mentally sighs. Oh boy. He knew that he was going to get an earful later on. For now though, he would have to lie. He didn't want his family to know that he had just attacked a member of the Kaguya Clan.

Well actually, Kimimaro had started it. Still he very much doubted that would matter to the Crime Family. It had been self-defense, but that wouldn't stop them from going after him later on.

"Yeah. That crazy son of a bitch attacked me in the park. We tore into each other a bit. I fired off a warning shot, once he had me on the ground and had broken a couple ribs. I'm going to be okay though." He tells her and kisses Hinata's cheek.

"I'm just glad you are okay." She mumbles as she buries her face in his chest, being very careful not to touch his ribs.

"Me too. Itachi, do you mind if Hinata has the rest of the night off?" He asks.

Itachi shakes his head. There was no way that he was going to force Hinata to work when she was that shaken up. Besides, who better to take care of his brother than his lover? (Who also happened to be a nurse).

"I don't mind at all. Take all the time you need. Don't worry. I'll ensure you get paid for any time you take off. Hinata, take good care of my foolish, little brother." Itachi says with a smile.

"Thank you, Itachi." Hinata says with a small smile as she walks off with Sasuke.

* * *

The other Uchihas watch as Hinata and Sasuke head off. They all sigh in relief. It was a miracle that Sasuke was still alive.

"Do you buy the mugger story?" Shisui asks them once the couple was out of hearing shot.

"Not for a single second. I know when my baby is lying to me." The Uchiha Matriarch replies with a heavy sigh.

Fugaku nods in agreement. He knew his youngest son as well. Sasuke had definitely been lying. Unfortunately, they had to figure out what he was lying about and why. He didn't for a minute think that whatever happened was over.

"I have to agree, my love. Something is going on. We'll get to the bottom of it." The eldest Uchiha says as he kisses her forehead comfortingly.

Shisui nods in agreement. If Sasuke thought he could keep a secret from his family, he had another thing coming. Really, he should know better than that by now.

* * *

"Did he give you any pain medication?" Hinata asks as she walks with Sasuke to her car.

"Yeah. He gave me lots of pain medication. I'll be fine. I'd rather have a broken rib or two than a bullet. You should have seen him. Hopefully, that will teach him a valuable lesson. Bastard should never have assumed that I was unarmed." Sasuke replies as he gets in the car.

Hinata nods. Somehow she didn't think that was the end of it. The bluenette decides she'd ask him about it when they got home. For now, she needed to focus on driving.

Sasuke glances at Hinata as they left the hospital. He didn't know how he was going to explain any of this to her. He didn't want to frighten his girlfriend, but he had to tell her the truth. This wasn't just about his safety. It was also about hers.

"We're home." The Hyuga woman says a few minutes later, once they arrive at Sasuke's house.

"Great." Sasuke replies as he gets out of the car and walks inside with Hianta.

"So are you going to tell me what really happened? I don't think it was just a just mugger." Hinata says.

The youngest Uchiha mentally braces himself. The last thing he wanted to do was frighten her. Sasuke couldn't lie to her again.

"It wasn't. Kimimaro was following me. I realized it and stopped at the park. So I walked around for a bit. I tried to make him think that I was just going for a walk. He bought it." The raven haired man explains.

"Then what happened?" Hinata asks.

"I flipped him over my shoulder. That seemed to surprise him." Sasuke replies smugly.

He had to admit that it was satisfying to get one over on the criminal. That sick fuck deserved far worse than that. Still it was something.

"Sasuke, now really isn't the time to be smug about winning a fight. I want to know what happened. You were in danger because of me." The bluenette protests.

"Well we got into a scuffle. More or less he said that you were going to marry him and that if I backed off, no one had to get hurt. I didn't respond well to **THAT.** So yeah, we got into a fight. The bastard got in a cheap shot and broke a couple of my ribs. I fell down and he was on me. So I shot him in the shoulder. He took off." Sasuke continues.

Oh God! Sasuke was lucky to be alive! He had just survived a fight with a member of the Kaguya Clan. Not many could say that.

"Sasuke, I love you. I really do, but maybe this isn't a good idea. At least until we get this Kaguya situation settled, maybe we should take a break. I couldn't live to myself if something happened to you because of me." She mumbles.

Sasuke shakes his head. He wasn't going to allow a bunch of criminals to interfere with his life. He was happy with Hinata. She was happy with him. Like Hell was he going to let them push them around.

"If that's what you really want, I'll respect your decision. But I don't agree. Do you really think that they are going to leave me alone now anyway? I shot him, Hinata. He's going to be out for revenge." Sasuke tells her.

Hinata frowns. She bites her lower lip nervously. He was right about that. Now that he had shot Kimimaro, she really doubted that the Kaguya Clan was just going to let that go.

"You're right. Sasuke, why did you shoot him?!" She demands.

"Because he broke a couple of my ribs and probably would have killed me if I didn't?!" The youngest Uchiha retorts.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked you that. I'm so sorry about all of this. I really thought that I had left this all behind me. Oh God. You could have been killed!" Hinata says.

Sasuke sighs. He wraps his arms around her and rests his head on top of hers. Hinata was a wreck and she had several damn good reasons to be that way.

"Hinata, it's going to be alright. We'll figure out a way to deal with this. Maybe we should all take some time off or something, until this blows over. He's likely going to be able to find out where I live. It's almost certain that he knows where you live. This place isn't safe anymore. Even with the Security System and Shadow, it's not safe here." Sasuke whispers and kisses her cheek reassuringly.

"Where can we go though?" She asks.

"He might be able to find out that Naruto is my friend, but I doubt they would be thorough enough to realize Gaara was his friend. He's got a summer cabin. We could use that. I'm sure he'd let us borrow it, once we explain everything." He says.

Hinata pauses as she considers that. Sasuke had a point. It was unlikely that even the Kaguya Clan would be that thorough. It might be safer to use Gaara's Cabin.

"You really don't think he would mind?" She asks.

"He only uses it during the summer and we can always pay him rent or something, if he is stubborn." Sasuke replies and she nods.

"Alright. Have Naruto make the call though. You might be being tracked. I wouldn't put anything past them." Hinata mumbles.

Sasuke nods in agreement. That was a good point. He'd talk to Naruto immediately.

* * *

Elsewhere Hiashi paces. Damn it. He had called to speak with Kimimaro. He wanted to try to explain that Hinata had disowned herself and propose another way to cement the alliance.

Unfortunately, he was too late. According to Kozu, Kimimaro was currently in surgery. Damn it. Things were getting out of hand and fast.

"Surely, something can be done about this unpleasant situation." He mutters to himself.

How could he have foreseen that Hinata, Hanabi, and Neji would disown themselves? It hadn't happened in decades. Had he known that was going to happen, he never would have suggested a marriage to formalize the alliance between the two Crime Families.

"Damn it!" He growls in agitation.

"Lord Hiashi?" Meeko inquires as she cautiously approaches him.

He was clearly distressed about something. She would bet her life that it had something to do with his daughters. They were often on Hiashi's mind these days.

She didn't think that he was a bad person. He was just born and bred to lead this Clan. Hiashi truly was wired this way. He would do anything for his family as a whole. It was showing affection towards individual members that was a little harder for him to grasp.

"Meeko, it's alright. I am just frustrated. Why did they have to disown themselves? Now the Kaguyas are likely going to be very displeased. You know what happens when that family is upset. Hell, you know what they happens when they are happy." He grumbles.

Meeko places her hand on his shoulder comfortingly. She wished that there was something more she could do to help. Sadly, the most that the Branch Member could do at the moment was to offer him a metaphorical shoulder to cry on.

Not that Lord Hiashi would ever cry. It was more a figure of speech than anything else. She hadn't seen him cry since his wife died. That might have been the only time that he had down so in his entire life. (Well other than when he was an infant obviously.)

"I don't know, My Lord." She whispers.

Of course she knew, but it was polite to pretend otherwise. They clearly had all wanted their freedom. Though it was almost unheard of for Main House Members to flee. She had expected Neji to do so, but Hinata and Hanabi had genuinely surprised her.

"I worry for their safety. I will have to speak with Kozu as soon as possible. His word is law in that family. If I can reason with him, the other Kaguyas will follow suit. Perhaps a crisis can be adverted." He murmurs.

"I hope so, Lord Hiashi." She says and nods her head in agreement.

She didn't have much hope that would actually work. The Kaguyas weren't exactly known for being reasonable. Still it was worth a shot. It wasn't as though they had many other options.

Meeko wondered if Hinata should be concerned about being kidnapped. The Kaguyas had no problem with murder. So it didn't' seem like it was outside the realm of possibility.

"Fetch me some sake, please." He mutters and Meeko nods as she flits off to do exactly that.

* * *

A short while later, Gaara picks up his phone. It was odd that it would ring at this hour. Curious, he answers it.

"Hello. This is Gaara Sabaku speaking, how may I help you?" The red head inquires.

"Gaara, I need a favor. A really big favor. Would you mind renting out your log cabin to a couple for awhile? It's a really long story, but they need a place to crash. Their good people and can pay. It's kinda an emergency." Naruto's voice answers.

Gaara blinks. Whatever he had been expecting to hear, that certainly wasn't it. A young couple wanted to rent out his cabin to get away from a dangerous situation?

"You know that I would do anything for you, my friend. All you have to do is ask. Though I must admit that you have peeked my curiosity. I would like a more thorough explanation later." The red head replies smoothly.

Naruto sighs in relief. Thank God for Gaara. His friend certainly knew how to roll with the punches. Anyone else would be freaking out by now and demanding explanations at once. Not Gaara though.

"Yeah. Don't worry. I'll definitely make sure to bring you up to speed. Thanks for this. So I'll head over to your place and get the key then?" He asks.

"Of course. That would be advisable. I'll be waiting." The red head informs him.

"Great. I'll be there in a few minutes." The blue eyed man informs him and hangs up.

Naruto couldn't believe that this was happening. When he heard Hinata had disowned herself from her crazy family, he had thought that would be the end of the issue. It looked like he was wrong though.

He had been really wrong. He couldn't believe any of this was happening. The blonde's mind couldn't help but flash back to his earlier conversation with Sasuke.

_Sasuke had called him and asked Naruto to meet at their old Tree House. Yeah. The boys had a Tree House in the woods that they had built together when they were kids and it was still standing._

_That's how Naruto knew something was up. Sasuke never asked to go there unless it was important. It was the only place they could be sure that they would have absolute privacy._

_"Alright, bastard. Tell me what's going on." The blonde had demanded._

_"Hinata's family is involved in a lot of White Crime. They want to merge with the Kaguyas. Apparently, before she disowned herself she was unknowingly promised to a man name Kimimaro Kaguya." Sasuke began._

_Naruto's eyes widen. Holy shit! That was like something straight out of a movie. It was almost unbelievable._

_"Well too bad for him. She disowned herself. They can't make her marry him." He said firmly._

_"He followed me. I stopped at the park. Made him think that I was just out for a walk. We got into a fight. Long story short, he broke a couple of my ribs. I shot his shoulder. He bolted and I went to the hospital. Unfortunately, I doubt that's the last of him or his family that we are going to see." He informed Naruto with a heavy sigh._

_The blonde couldn't believe this. Damn it! Sasuke had just shot someone who belonged to a major Crime Family. That was almost like signing your own death warrant._

_"So you need a place to stay that they won't find you easily, is that it?" His friend inquired._

_"That's it. I thought maybe we could stay at Gaara's Cabin for awhile. Just until we get this sorted out. We can pay him rent, if he wants." Sasuke said in a rush._

_"Yeah. It's probably a good idea to haul up somewhere remote for awhile. I'll talk to him. How do you get yourself into these crazy situations?" Naruto asked._

_Two of his best friends now had a Crime Family chasing after them. It would have been funny, if it wasn't so scary. Hinata and Sasuke needed to get out of town and fast._

_"I'll tell him about Hanabi and Neji as well. I doubt that it's a good idea to leave them behind." Naruto whispered._

_"Good thinking. I'll talk to you later. Just make sure to get that key. And thank you, Naruto. You are a good friend." Sasuke said before he left._

"Shit. I better tell Gaara about Hinata's family members. I doubt it will make a difference, but still." He mutters to himself as he drives off to Gaara's place.


	12. That Hair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the Kaguya Situation grows more desperate, the Uchihas and Hyugas are forced to take desperate measures.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you enjoy this chapter.

A few days later and they had all settled into the Cabin. Sasuke and Hinata were sharing a room, despite Neji's protest. Hanabi certainly wasn't helping Neji by calling Sasuke, 'brother.'

It was clear from her antics, that the youngest Hyuga believed that it was only a matter of time before Hinata and Sasuke married. Thus he would be her brother-in-law. (Which she had just shortened to brother).

"Hanabi, you really shouldn't tease them in such a fashion." Neji gently chides her.

"I'm not teasing. I'm giving helpful hints. You can't really be angry. Sasuke is nice, he has a good job, and look at how far he's willing to go to keep her safe. Anyone else would have broken up with her when they found out she was from a Crime Family and had a crazy criminal bent on making her his bride. I wouldn't have blamed him, if he ran off. But he stayed." The youngest Hyuga in the house argues.

The lavender eyed man sighs. He couldn't exactly argue with her logic. Still he didn't want his cousin to go and give Sasuke **_ideas._** Hinata and Sasuke had not been seeing each other nearly long enough to get married!

* * *

Meanwhile, Sasuke was on the phone. He knew that he was gambling here. But desperate times, called for desperate measures.

Calling Madara Uchiha, definitely qualified as desperate. It wasn't that he didn't like his great uncle. Sauske just knew that he had a tendency to get carried away, while reliving the 'glory days.'

"Uncle Madara?" He calls out into the phone.

Unfortunately, that's what he needed at the moment. He needed someone who didn't mind getting their hands dirty and that was Madara Uchiha. The man had never shied away from anything. Sasuke doubted he'd break his perfect record by being scared of even two Crime Families.

"Ah, Sasuke. It's good to hear from you. To what do I owe this pleasure?" The elder Uchiha asks.

"It's a very long story, but I need your help. It'll be very dangerous though, if you decide to lend a hand. Actually, most people would argue that getting involved might be borderline insane or even suicidal." Sasuke says.

"Hmm. Dangerous and insane? That sounds like fun. Where should I met you?" He asks.

Sasuke rubs the back of his head sheepishly. Sometimes he wondered if the war hadn't messed with Madara's head. His great uncle had served in the Vietnam War. He'd been drafted along with his brother, but Madara had quickly found out that he excelled in the Art of War.

Yes, that war had ended disastrously for the U.S. That wasn't because of Madara though. To this day, he would argue that he could have won that war, if the government had just listened to him. (His grandfather, Izuna, thought Madara was nuts when he said things like that though).

"We're staying at a Log Cabin at the moment. I'll give you the address and you can swing by. I'll explain everything else, when you get here." Sasuke replies as he gives the address the veteran.

* * *

It didn't take long for Madara to arrive. Hinata, Neji, and Hanabi blink at the force of nature that was Madara. Even well into his twilight years, he was an imposing figure. He had certainly aged well. The main signs of age were now his formerly brilliant midnight black mane was silver and the few wrinkles that adorned his face here and there.

He walked in a stiff, but regal manner. It was also quite possible that he had arthritis, Hinata thought. He wasn't using a cane though. She figures that was probably more out of stubbornness than anything else. He really should get one.

"This is my Great Uncle Madara. He's here to help us with the Kaguya Situation." Sasuke explains.

"Kaguya Situation? Oh you've gone and done it now. I know those crazy fuckers. I had a couple of them in my division." He observes.

"Does that mean you don't want to get involved?" The younger Uchiha asks.

Madara shakes his head. Nah. That just made him want to get involved more. There were two reasons really. First, there was the general principle of the thing. No one messed with his family. Second, it would be a grand adventure.

"No. That just means I'm even happier to help. I do love a challenge." He says.

Izuna might have been content to enjoy a leisurely twilight era. His younger brother mostly was charming the women at the Rinnegan Senior Center. Madara was not.

Seriously, there were places where old people would gather and act like they were all in high school. Mostly this involved eating, playing Bingo, cards, and some other social events. Madara promised himself that he would never allow himself to get that bored. He didn't care how many eligible women there might be at such events!

"Sasuke, your great uncle is a little insane. I hope you realize that." Neji says.

"Yes, I realize that. That's why I called him here. He's a veteran. Madara's survived a lot of situations that should have killed him at least ten times over. He's got more lives than a cat. He's exactly the type of man we need to deal with Kimimaro." Doctor Love insists.

Neji shakes his head. In his mind, Madara was exactly the kind of man that was likely to get them all killed. Still he supposed that he shouldn't be rude. Sasuke had found them all a safe place to hide and was trying to help them.

"That's right. Now tell me exactly what is going on." Madara insists.

"Hinata, Hanabi, and Neji are from the Hyuga Clan. I assume that you've heard of them." His great nephew states.

The veteran nods. Who hadn't heard of the Hyugas? They were one of the wealthiest families in the country. Actually, it wouldn't be a stretch to call them one of the wealthiest families in the world.

"Yes, I fail to see how that involves the Kaguya Clan though." Madara replies.

"The Hyugas were planning an alliance with them. They are a Crime Family. The main difference is that they specialize in White Collar crime and the Kaguyas aren't afraid to get their hands dirty. They planned to formalize this alliance with a marriage between Hinata and Kimimaro." Sasuke continues.

Hinata watches Madara curiously. So was that what Sasuke was going to look like when he was old? Hmm. She wasn't sure how she felt about the mane. It was certainly feral. She tries to picture Sasuke with a mane like that and just couldn't do it.

"That's an accurate enough assessment. We left the family before Uncle Hiashi informed Hinata that she was promised to Kimimaro. Now he's found her and even went so far as to attack Sasuke. Sasuke shot him in self-defense, but I doubt the Kaguya's will see it that way." The young man explains smoothly.

Madara couldn't help but nod at that assessment. He knew how Crime Families were. An "attack" on one of them, was an attack on all of them. The Kaguyas would want revenge on Sasuke.

It was really the principle of the thing. If Sasuke got away with hurting one of their members, then that would look bad. He would have to be punished.

"Well you've got yourself into a fine mess here. I assume that the blue haired one is Hinata? The other looks a bit too young to be involved with you." Madara observes.

"Yes, I'm Hinata." The elder Hyuga sister murmurs shyly.

"I suppose if you are going to get involved in a gang war, that she's definitely a good reason to. Aren't you a pretty little thing? Well at least you have good tastes, Sasuke. Does the rest of our family know about this **_situation?_** "The war veteran inquires.

Sasuke shakes his head. No. He was definitely keeping his parents, Itachi, and Shisui out of this for as long as possible. It wasn't their problem. He had started this and he was going to finish it.

"They don't know. I don't want to cause them to panic. That would only make things worse." The youngest Uchiha admits.

Hanabi watches as Sasuke briefs his relative. It was like a lion had just pranced right into their cabin. She'd never seen anything like Madara before.

"Hanabi, it's not polite to stare." Neji whispers.

"I know, but look at that hair!" The Hyuga woman exclaims back in a whisper.

"From a moral standpoint, I do believe they have a right to know. It's quite possible that the Kaguyas will target anyone close to you. You shot one of their members. The easiest way to make you suffer, short of killing you or attacking Hinata would be to target your family." His great uncle informs him.

Sasuke nods and grimaces. That thought had occurred to him. Still he wasn't sure what to do about it. If he told them, they would panic and they might do something stupid. Something stupid like going to the police. That would just sign all of their death warrants.

"I know. I'm just not sure what to do about it." Sasuke confesses.

"Of course, you aren't sure. This isn't an everyday situation. Well luckily, you have me. I survived the war. I think I can handle a couple of Crime Families. It's unlikely they have any real weapons of war. Well other than guns. They probably have lots of guns." The elder Uchiha muses out loud.

Hanabi gulps. She didn't like the sound of that. Her family might be involved in criminal activity, but most the time no one got hurt. The Kaguyas were a completely different matter though. They seemed to **_enjoy_** hurting people.

"Oh don't fret, my dear. We'll find a way to deal with them soon enough. Nothing to worry your pretty little head about." Madara says as he pats her head comfortingly.

Shadow comes out to see what was going on. He heard lots of voices going at once. He blinks when he saw a new person.

Quickly, he glances at his masters and mistresses to see if they were distressed. Hmm. They didn't look distressed. Still like any good guard dog, he was going to investigate this situation thoroughly.

"I see you got a guard dog. That was a good move. Unfortunately, I think it's going to take more than that to keep a Crime Family at bay. That is a fine dog though." The wild haired man observes.

Shadow goes right up to Madara and proceeds to sniff him. No one was going to mess with his family. His family didn't look scared though.

"And so fearless." He chuckles.

It was a rare man that had the guts to walk straight up to him. That also applied to animals. Izuna had commented on this fact more than once.

"Yes, he's a good dog. This is Shadow." Sasuke explains and Madara nods.

"Well let's start planning. The most important rule of war, is to know your enemy. So what do we know about the Kaguyas?" He asks.

Madara saw Neji sigh. It looked like the male Hyuga knew quite a bit about the Kaguyas. That was a start at least.

"I take it that we know quite a bit and very little of it is good news. Well in that case, we had best get started." The elder Uchiha says.

* * *

Meanwhile Kimimaro had recovered from his surgery. To say the least, he wasn't a happy camper. That doctor had actually shot him!

"I have to admit that he has balls. He's not nearly as smart as people say he is though. I can't believe that he shot me. He should have taken my offer and just broken up with her." The silver haired man murmurs to himself.

He was certainly not going to let the Uchiha get away with that. Kimimaro may have been the most mellow member of his family, but he was a Kaguya. He had his limits. Sasuke had just crossed them.

"Now, I simply have to find a way to take him out of the picture." He muses.

"Kimimaro, wouldn't it be better to just forget about Hinata? It's become increasingly clear that she has disowned herself from the Hyugas. She did so before she knew about the arranged marriage between you and herself." Jugo inquires softly.

Jugo was not a Kaguya. Still he was a powerful asset in their family. The man's physical strength and absolute loyalty were highly valued traits in their criminal organization.

He was also Kimimaro's best friend. The young man would trust Jugo with his life. Unfortunately, this time he couldn't agree with the other man.

"Sasuke shot me. He has to be punished. We can not allow such an insult to go unaddressed. Surely, you can see this." He argues.

Jugo certainly was not pleased that the doctor had shot Kimimaro. It made him very angry actually. Though the circumstances around the shooting made it rather obvious that it had been self-defense. Jugo couldn't begrudge Sasuke for defending himself.

"While I must admit that I am angry that he hurt you, it was self-defense. Do you really think he would have shot you, if you hadn't broken some of his ribs and had him on the ground?" The gentle giant asks.

"That's true. Still that doesn't change the fact that I can't just ignore the fact he shot me. He has to be punished. The Kaguya name is legendary in criminal circles. If word gets out that someone attacked me and lived to tell the tale, it would be a serious blow to our reputation!" Kimimaro insists.

He had to make Jugo understand. The silver haired man was fully justified in what he was about to do. Sasuke had fucking shot him!

"Well you know that I will help you with whatever you need. Friends should stick together. Still I would urge you to reconsider." Jugo says.

"I'll think about it. I don't think that I can just let this go though. First things first, we have to figure out where they went. It looks like Sasuke and Hinata went into hiding. That was a smart move on their part." Kimimaro admits.

Jugo nods in agreement. God knows if he were in Sasuke's position, he would probably be getting the Hell out of the country. The Kaguyas were not a family that you wanted to anger.

"We'll find them. Don't worry about that." Jugo assures his friend Kimimaro nods in agreement.

* * *

Back at the Sharingan Hospital, Mikoto sighs. She was very worried about Sasuke. He had come to the hospital with broken ribs. None of the other Uchihas thought that it was just a random mugging. Something was up.

"We will find out what really happened. I suppose we could always call in the big guns. Perhaps Izuna would be able to talk some sense into the boy." Fugaku suggests.

The dark beauty considers that option. After a few moments, she nods. She really hated to bother Izuna. The man was quite elderly and enjoying his retirement.

Unfortunately, it didn't look like they had much of a choice. There was no one better at getting information out of people than her father. She just hoped that Madara didn't get too curious and decide to meddle.

"Aren't you worried that Madara will get involved, if we involve Izuna?" She whispers.

"He probably will. That's okay though. Madara may be a little eccentric, but he does love this family. There's nothing that he wouldn't do to ensure our Clan's safety. I'm sure that he'd probably help Izuna get to the bottom of things, really." The Uchiha Patriarch says.

Mikoto nods as she considers her husband's words. He was right. Madara was half crazy, but he was a crazy person who loved his family greatly.

"We should invite Shisui, Itachi, and Izuna all to dinner. You know none of them can resist my cooking." She says smugly.

"No one can resist your cooking, my love." Fugaku notes with a chuckle.

She really was an excellent cook. If Mikoto hadn't gone into the medical field, he could have easily seen her opening up her own restaurant or hosting a cooking show. She was that good.

"I'll go make the calls then." She says as she pulls out her cell and begins making them.

* * *

At that same time, Izuna was in the Rinnegan Senior Center. Some music was playing and he was twirling one of the other guests. She was quite lively for her age. Izuna was almost positive that she had a good five years on him.

That certainly wasn't a major age gap for most people. However, when you got to be Izuna's age, five years could make a big difference. Just as he was about to dip his partner, his cell phone went off.

"If you'll excuse me for one moment, I have to answer this call. I shall be right back." The elder Uchiha assures her and he heads towards the bathroom.

Really it was the best place to get some privacy. He raises an eyebrow when he recognizes the number. His daughter was calling. Mikoto.

Madara was his brother and thus Mikoto's uncle. Her children were his great nephews. That was why they called him Uncle Madara. Izuna had a more direct link to that branch of the family tree because Mikoto was his daughter and thus the younger set of Uchiha brothers, were his grandsons.

"Mikoto, it's good to hear from you. To what do I owe this delightful surprise?" He asks.

"I was wondering if you would like to come over for a family dinner. Myself, Fugaku, Itachi, and Shisui will be there." She says.

Izuna frowns. He noticed someone was missing from that list. Where was Sasuke? He normally attended such family functions.

"I would love to. Is Sasuke ill? It's not like him to skip out on your cooking." He notes in amusement.

"That's actually what we wanted to talk to you about. It's a very long story and we could use your help." His daughter pleads with him.

The elder Uchiha blinks. It was rare to hear his daughter use that pleading tone. Now he was suddenly very worried for his youngest grandson.

"I shall be there. I trust that you will bring me up to speed about everything when I arrive?" He inquires.

"Of course." She answers and they set up a time for his arrival, before hanging up.

* * *

Meanwhile back at Gaara's Cabin, Sasuke shows Madara to one of the guestrooms. It was decided that the old coot should stay with them. Well actually, Madara basically decided that and no one else really wanted to argue with the war veteran.

"I hope you are comfortable. We weren't originally planning for you to stay overnight. If we had known that, we would have fixed the place up more." Doctor Love says.

"Oh it's quite fine. I've slept in far worse accommodations in my day. I do like the fireplace though. This is quite the charming cabin. Your friend has good taste when it comes to real estate." Madara observes.

Sasuke nods in agreement. If there was one thing you could say about Gaara, it was that he was intelligent and certainly had style. It was an old fashioned style, but an elegant one nonetheless.

"That's true. Well I know it's been a long day. You should probably get some sleep. Do you need to go back to your place tomorrow to pick up a few things? Clothes and stuff?" His great nephew asks.

"Yes, I suppose that it would be more practical of me to do so. I can't imagine anyone would enjoy me wearing this outfit over and over again." He states with a chuckle.

Doctor Love couldn't help but agree. Madara wearing the same clothes he had on his back over and over again would get awkward and rather quickly. It would probably be best if he made a quick trip back to his place.

"You can go tomorrow. You should be fine for the night." The raven haired man says.

"Yes, I think I'll manage. Well I know the real reason why you are so eager to cart me off to bed. I think you do as well." The veteran says with a smirk.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. He knew that smirk. Madara was about to say something outrageous. He was almost afraid to ask, but he decides to get it over with.

"And what is the real reason?" Sasuke asks.

"I can hardly blame you. If I had a lover that looked like that, I'd be eager to get to bed as well." Madara replies in a tone that he was rather pleased with his own cleverness.

Sasuke rubs the back of his head sheepishly. In reality, he and Hinata weren't lovers. They were heading in that direction, but they hadn't fully enjoyed each other's company. He wasn't going to tell Madara that though.

"You're right. I do enjoy sleeping next to my beautiful girlfriend. Who can blame me?" He asks.

"Nobody can blame you for that. Good night, Sasuke. I promise you that we will figure out a way to deal with this unpleasant situation." Madara assures him.

"I sure hope so. Sleep well, uncle." Sasuke says as he heads out of the room and back towards the one he shared with Hinata.

* * *

Hinata smiles when she sees Sasuke. She walks over to him and kisses his cheek. She was so relieved to see that he was alright. (Well minus a couple ribs which were slowly on the mend).

"Your great uncle is certainly rather interesting." She admits with a giggle.

"Yes, that's true. One thing that Madara Uchiha has never been called is boring. One way or another, he always makes an impression." Sasuke states.

The young Hyuga woman nods her head in agreement. Madara certainly had made an impression. She couldn't help but laugh at the look on Hanabi's face when she saw Madara's hair. (In her defense, that was quite the impressive mane).

"Are you planning to grow your hair out like that?" The bluenette asks.

"What? No way. I am not going to spend like three hours a day just washing my hair." Sasuke informs her.

Hinata laughs. Sasuke just looked so utterly aghast at her suggestion that it was funny. Damn. She had really needed that laugh.

"Are you sure? You seemed to like our time in the shower?" Hinata reminds him.

"Hmm. Well if we are going to be doing things like THAT while I wash my hair, then maybe it wouldn't be so bad." Sasuke says with a smirk.

The nurse smiles at that smirk. Before she realized what she was doing, she pushes him onto the bed and straddles his waist. He was just so cute when he smirked like that.

"I thought you might like that idea." She says as she kisses him.

Sasuke kisses back. Oh yeah. Suddenly having really long hair might be worth considering. Hmm spending three hours alone with Hinata in the shower sounded like a damn fine idea actually.

"I love you." He says after breaking the kiss.

"I love you too. Though it's probably best to hold off on that shower idea until we are in a less crowded place." Hinata reasons and Sasuke sighs as he nods in agreement.

That was true. He couldn't think of anything more awkward than having your family walk in on you while you were spending some quality time with your lover. God knows that Madara would never let him live that down and Neji would probably try to kill him for touching his precious cousin.


	13. A Fine Mess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke has gotten himself into a fine mess, but luckily for him...he has an entire family full of eccentric relatives ready to help him out of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you enjoy this chapter.

A few days later, Izuna frowns. He had recently enjoyed dinner with most of his family. The fact that Madara hadn't been invited and Sasuke wasn't there, set off alarm bells in his head. Sasuke was up to something and Madara was meddling.

Whatever was going on, he was going to nip it in the bud. Sasuke was still young. He had an excuse. His older brother should know better than to carry on like a teenager.

"Well I had better call his half crazy ass." Izuna mutters as he does exactly that.

"Hello?" Madara's voice replies a few seconds later.

"Madara, I know you are getting into mischief with Sasuke. Honestly, what the Hell going on? You have the entire family worried sick." Izuna states.

Madara sighs. Damn it. Of course Mikoto would go running to her father. Izuna was very protective of his child and wouldn't allow himself to be kept in the dark. Maybe he could make him see reason though.

"You're right. I am, but this time it's for a very good reason. It's a long story though. I'm heading back to our place to pick up a few things. I'll explain there." Madara says.

"Alright. Get your ass back here. I'll just have to reschedule my date with Tsunade." He says.

"You got a date with Tsunade? Damn. The one with the giant melons?" Madara asks.

Izuna lets out an annoyed growl. He loved his brother. God help him, he did. But Madara could be rather crude sometimes. Some women found it amusing. Women like Tsunade, would smack him around like a piñata though.

"Yes, I did. If you did not refer to her large bosom was melons, she might have said yes to you. It's fine though. Family comes first. Tsunade understands that." Izuna replies.

"Just saying, she's a real looker. Nice job, brother. Still she's not exactly my type. She used to raise Holy Hell in her younger days, but now she's pretty straight laced. Well unless you get a few drinks in her anyway." The elder Uchiha brother says merrily.

Izuna sighs. He had no idea what he was going to do with Madara. Seriously, he still acted like he was 18. Oh well. It was probably nothing he could fix with a few smacks.

"I'll see you soon. You had better tell me everything." He informs him as he hangs up on Madara.

Sasuke shakes his head. Looks like grandpa Izuna was going to be joining them soon. His crazy great uncle could talk him into almost anything. Izuna was the far more normal of the two of them, but Madara was clearly the ringleader. They were a package deal really.

"I guess you can tell grandpa, but please make sure he doesn't tell mother and father." The raven haired Uchiha pleads.

"Of course, I will. I'm not stupid. Your parents would ruin all our fun. What kind of adventure will we have if they call the cops? Besides, the cops aren't going to be able to do anything to help us." The veteran reasons.

Hinata giggles and kisses Sasuke's cheek. By this point, she was growing accustomed to his relative's antics. Only Madara Uchiha would think facing off against a Crime Family was fun and an adventure.

"Has he always been like this?" She whispers.

"I don't know about always, but he's been like this as long as I can remember. I honestly think that the War really messed with his head. Maybe he was normal beforehand." Sasuke whispers back.

"I heard that!" Madara growls.

Sasuke at least has the decency to look embarrassed. Madara just shakes his head. Well he supposed it was a good sign that the two of them trusted each other enough to conspire with each other. That meant it was a strong bond.

"Anyway, I better get going. Izuna isn't the sort who takes being kept waiting very well. I shall return shortly. Don't worry. My brother may like to pretend to be a respectable person, but deep down he loves a good adventure as much as me." Madara says as he heads off.

"This won't end well." Neji says simply.

The youngest Uchiha frowns and couldn't help but agree. Madara had a knack for getting in trouble. He always landed on his feet though.

Hanabi was petting Shadow. That was on thing that Hinata was grateful for. Her sister didn't scare easily. Anyone else her age would have been falling to pieces by now. Not Hanabi though.

* * *

Meanwhile with the Kaguya Clan, Kimimaro was reading through every scrap of public record that he had been able to find on Sasuke and Hinata. Surely, he'd be able to find something that would help him find out where they were hiding.

"Well he isn't foolish enough to choose a place that either of them own. I doubt he's stupid enough to have them stay at a place either of their families own. Hinata disowned herself and I would be able to track them down too easily, if they chose a place that the Uchihas owned. So we have to expand our search to properties owned by their friends." Kimimaro reasons.

Jugo sighs. He really wished that Kimimaro would just let this go. There were plenty of women that would be happy to marry him and men. He didn't need to marry the Hyuga Princess or go on a murderous rampage.

"I doubt that Sasuke is going to go around bragging about shooting you. He's not that suicidal. Aren't you taking this a little too far?" Jugo inquires.

"He most likely wouldn't, but I don't like loose ends. That's how people like us get killed." The silver haired man tells him.

The gentle giant sighs. Sasuke's demise was rather imminent it seemed. The most he could do is ensure that it was over swiftly. Preferably, it would be over in such a way that Hinata wouldn't know that Kimimaro was responsible.

If she knew that he killed her lover, then she would never forgive him. That would be anything but a happy marriage. He did want his best friend to be happy.

"I'll take care of it. I don't think that Sasuke is idiotic enough to choose a close friend. Try a friend of a friend. He'd a connection that isn't obvious at first or second glance." Jugo states.

Kimimaro nods in approval. In addition to being strong and loyal, Jugo was also rather perceptive. Those were the main reasons his family kept him around. He had never let them down yet.

"That's true." The other man agrees.

Jugo looks through a list of Sasuke's friends. It looked like Naruto was his closest friend. So he had to find someone who was close to Naruto.

He frowns as he tries to figure out how it had come to this. How had such a gentle spirit like Kimimaro turned into a cold blooded killer? If it wasn't for the silver haired man, Jugo would have already been dead by now. He knew that his friend was a good person deep down. It was just that his family had brainwashed him.

_He had been an orphan. Jugo was barely a teenager and starving. He had done something foolish and stolen some food from a house._

_The young man had no idea that the house had belonged to a Kaguya. Soon enough, the owner came out and he head some friends. Gang members._

_"I just wanted some food. I didn't take anything else, I swear!" He pleaded._

_Jugo had always been large for his age. He was also pretty good in a fight. Unfortunately, he was outnumbered. A brutal beating started ensuing._

_"No one steals from a Kaguya! Any least words, you dog?" One of the men demanded._

_"No! Stop it! Is our family reduced to killing starving street kids?" A young man, about this age inquired as he walked out._

_There was something positively regal about him. Jugo had never seen hair that color or eyes so bright. He moved far too gracefully for a boy that age._

_"He stole from us. We have to take him out. We'll be the laughingstock of the criminal world if we allow stray dogs to steal from us." He countered._

_"We'll be bigger laughingstocks if they find out that we are reduced to beating up starving teenagers in a five to one fight." Kimimaro snapped._

_Jugo couldn't believe it. The other man had saved him! He might actually get out of this alive._

_"I'm Kimimaro by the way. What's your name?" He asked._

_"Jugo. Thanks for saving me." The orange haired boy replied._

Every since that day, he had done his best to protect his friend. That hadn't been an easy feat. Kimimaro belonged to one of the largest Crime Families in the world. He was always getting into dangerous situations!

"Naruto is close to a man called Gaara. The red head does seem to own several properties. Maybe Sasuke and Hinata are hiding in one of them." The silver haired criminal muses.

"It's more likely than not." Jugo agrees.

* * *

Elsewhere Sasuke takes Hinata outside. He places a gun in her hands. The bluentte looks at him and blinks.

"Why did you give me a gun?" She asks in confusion.

"Kimimaro is strong and fast. He's not faster than a bullet though. I know that much. So I got us some guns. I'm going to teach you how to shoot. Oh and Neji and Hanabi as well. They need to be able to protect themselves as too. I doubt Kimimaro will stop at just targeting me." Sasuke reasons.

The Hyuga woman couldn't argue with his logic. Still she frowns. She had never thought that she would use a gun before.

"I'm not so sure this is a good idea. I've never fired one before. I might hurt someone on accident." She mumbles.

"Hinata, you are a nurse. You are very good at being precise. That skill can transfer over to other areas. I'd feel better, if I knew that you had an easier way to protect yourself." Sasuke says as he kisses her forehead.

She bites her lower lip nervously. After a moment, she nods her head. Granted, she didn't really want to use a lethal weapon. But in this situation, she had to.

"Alright. I guess it couldn't hurt to at least try." She says.

"Good. Now this is the trigger. There are a lot of places you can shoot someone without killing them. It doesn't have to be a kill shot. Shooting him in the leg, would do just fine in most cases." Doctor Love says.

It was ironic, she muses. Doctor Love was teaching her how to shoot a gun. It was such a bizarre twist of fate. In a strange way, it was funny. She starts laughing.

"Hinata, are you alright?" Neji asks in concern when he notices his cousin was now laughing at nothing.

"Oh. Yes, I'm alright. It's just that Sasuke's nickname is Doctor Love and he's teaching me how to shoot a gun. I found that odd is all." She confesses.

Neji raises an eyebrow at that title. There was definitely a story behind it. He was going to force Sasuke to tell him it later on. For now, the Uchiha had a point. All of them needed to be ready for what was about to happen next.

"That is kinda funny." Hanabi agrees.

"…" Sasuke is speechless.

Hyugas could be rather a rather strange lot sometimes. He shakes his head in amusement. Sasuke places his hand on Hinata's and shows her how to fire it.

"Aim at the target and keep practicing. I got us plenty of ammunition, so don't worry about running out of bullets." He assures her.

Hinata nods and fires it off. Sasuke blinks. Well she was definitely a natural. He makes a quick mental note never to get on Hinata's bad side.

Neji and Hanabi also practice. The foursome spends several hours practicing. Shadow watches curiously. It was strange. All the loud noises were scary, but his humans didn't seem scared.

If they weren't scared, everything had to be okay. Right? Surely, they'd be scared if something bad was going on.

"Come on. That's enough practice for the day. Let's go inside and get some dinner." Sasuke says as he heads into the Log Cabin.

The Hyugas quickly follow. Hanabi quickly prepares something. Sasuke was surprised by this, but decides not to argue.

"She's seen a couple cooking shows. Now she fancies herself the next big thing in the culinary arts." Neji notes with amusement.

"Ah I see. Oh well. It's probably best to humor her." Sasuke says and the other two Hyugas nod in agreement.

* * *

After dinner, Sasuke and Hinata head to their room. The bluenette sits in the bed and was taking off her shoes, when Sasuke snuck up behind her. He places something on her neck.

Hinata blinks and looks down. It was a beautiful silver chained necklace with a ruby in the shape of a heart on it. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting, but that hadn't been it.

"After this is all over, I want you to move in with me for real. I like Hanabi and Neji, but I would prefer it if we could have some privacy." Sasuke tells her and kisses her cheek.

"Sasuke, it's beautiful. Are you sure? This is really expensive looking and you already got me Shadow. I'd like that too though. I love them, but you're right. Showers would be a lot easier without living in the same house as them." The Hyuga woman whispers as her cheeks turn a dark shade of red.

Sasuke nods. He'd never been more sure about anything in his life really. Thank God, she said yes. It was starting to get more than a little frustrating, knowing that she had a very protective cousin who was watching their every move.

"I'm sure. Oh and just accept the necklace. Let me pamper you are little bit. It's the least I can do after shooting your intended and bringing the wrath of a Crime Family down on us." He notes in amusement.

"Well maybe a little pampering is okay." She says with a smile and kisses him.

"Good." Sasuke says after he returns the kiss.

* * *

Meanwhile Madara arrives back at his home. Izuna was waiting for him. He winces. Oh yeah. His brother was rather angry with him. That much was obvious.

"You had better tell me exactly what is going on." Izuna demands.

"Alright. Well it seems Sasuke went and found himself a sexy nurse." Madara begins.

Izuna raises an eyebrow. Good for his grandson. He didn't see why that necessitated all this cloak and dagger stuff though. There had to be more to the story than that.

"Somehow, I doubt that is all there is to it. Good for him though. I'm glad that my grandson found someone. Now tell me the rest of the story." His younger brother orders him.

"Has anyone ever told you that you are extremely bossy? It can be rather annoying at times. I hope Tsunade doesn't mind. Otherwise she's not going to give you a second date." Madara inquires.

The younger Uchiha twitches. Sometimes he wondered if his brother liked being beaten up. It would certainly explain his behavior rather well in these types of situations.

"That's assuming that I can even have a first date with her. Stop stalling. You know that I hate it when you beat around the bush." Izuna insists.

"Right. Well it seems the Hyugas got themselves involved with the Kaguyas. They are a Crime Family. So are the Hyugas, but they specialize in White Collar stuff. Anyway, Hiashi got it into his head that the best way to formalize an alliance was through a marriage. Unfortunately for him, Hinata disowned herself before he told her that." The wild haired man continues.

Izuna blinks. What was Madara saying? Sasuke had somehow involved himself in the middle of two Crime Family's dramas?!

"Oh dear God. His life could be in danger if that's the case. Let me guess, the Kaguya that was supposed to be Hinata's husband, isn't letting her go that easily and a confrontation ensued. That was why he showed up at hospital with broken ribs!" Izuna exclaims.

Madara nods. His brother was still as clever as ever. He knew that if he told him a bit of the story, Izuna would be able to fill in the gaps.

"That's right. Hinata, Sasuke, and a couple of her family members are hiding out in a Log Cabin owned by a friend of a friend. For now that's all that they can do. I am helping Sasuke prepare though. The Kaguyas aren't the type of people who are going to take this sort of thing laying down." The older Uchiha says.

This was insanity. He knew that Madara liked to involve himself in "adventures." The old coot was desperate for some excitement in his twilight years, but this was borderline suicidal.

"I suppose I have no choice but to help you all. If I leave you to your own devices, it's likely you will get yourself killed. Alright, what do we know?" He says with a heavy sigh.

Madara smiles. He knew that he could count on his brother. When push came to shove, Izuna would always back him up. No matter what. That's what brothers were there for, after all.

"I knew that you'd see reason. Well first, you might want to pack up a few things. We are going to be staying at their Cabin for awhile. So you'll need some clothes and other stuff." Madara says as he heads off to begin packing.

Izuna shakes his head. He couldn't help but wonder what on Earth he had gotten himself into. This was playing with fire and they both knew it.

"My poor grandson has gotten himself into a fine mess." He mutters in annoyance.

* * *

Elsewhere Itachi was speaking with his mother. If anyone could get to the bottom of this, it was Mikoto Uchiha. Their family dinner had gone well and Izuna had promised to try to find out what was going on with Sasuke.

"Do you think he can really do it? Sasuke has become so secretive as of late. I don't know where he went off to. It's almost as if he fell off the face of the Earth. That tells me that he doesn't want to be found." The Hospital Administrator observes.

"Sasuke has always been very close to your grandfather. I'm certain that Izuna will be able to find him. They are so much alike. It's almost eerie sometimes. Well they are mostly alike. Izuna is more of a flirt than Sasuke is. Actually, I think Shisui gets his flirtatious nature from your grandfather." She muses with a smile.

"Hey!" Shisui protests when he peeks his head into the lunchroom.

"Oh you can feign your protests all you want. We all know that it's true. I never said it was a bad thing. Your antics are rather amusing. By the way, how are things going with Neji and Tenten?" She inquires.

Shisui sighs. Well things had been going pretty well with the lab technician and paramedic, until Neji had disappeared. He had sent Tenten a text stating that he was going on a family vacation and she hadn't heard from him since.

"No idea. He went missing the same time Hinata and Sasuke did. My best guess is that they all took off. I don't know why though. But I suspect it has something to do with his broken ribs. I don't think that it was a random mugger." He admits.

Itachi nods. He had been having very similar thoughts to his cousin recently. Sasuke got broken ribs and not long after, he disappeared with Hinata (and apparently two members of her family).

It couldn't be a coincidence. He wasn't born yesterday. Something was going on.

"Tenten must be worried to death." Fugaku says as he strides into the room.

"Yeah. She's pretty shaken up. Tenten is smart. I think she kinda senses something is going on. I wish that I could tell her that it was all going to be okay. I want to believe that it's just a family vacation, but I don't." Shisui admits.

"Perhaps I should give Izuna a call." Mikoto says.

"That would probably be best." Her husband agrees and the dark beauty takes out her cell phone.

She quickly dials the number. The mother of two was extremely grateful when Izuna picked up almost immediately. Her father was very good at answering his phone quickly.

"Father, have you spoken to Sasuke yet?" She asks.

"Not yet, but I'm going to speak with him soon. It seems that he just wanted to go on a romantic getaway with his pretty nurse. They took Hanabi and Neji as well. I guess that Neji just wants to chaperone and Hanabi couldn't pass up the chance to see Hawaii." He says smoothly.

Izuna hated to lie to his own daughter. Still the last thing that any of them needed was for Mikoto Uchiha to start panicking. That wouldn't end well. So a few white lies were necessary.

"Oh thank God. We've all been worried sick. It's just a romantic getaway to Hawaii? I didn't realize that Hinata and Sasuke were so serious. Hmm maybe that means that he's going to propose soon! That means that I might be a grandmother in the near future." She says happily.

"Well I think that is putting the cart before the horse. Still they do seem rather fond of each other. Sasuke would do almost anything of the girl, I think. I have to go now. I finally convinced Madara to give the Rinnegan Senior Center a try. If we don't hurry, finding parking will be rather difficult." Her father says.

Mikoto giggles. She couldn't believe that Izuna had finally talked Madara into going there. The man just refused to accept that he was old. Izuna had gone into his twilight years with a sense of grace and dignity. Madara still acted like a teenager though.

"Alright. Have fun. Tell him that I love him." She says.

"I will. Goodbye, my dear." Izuna says as he hangs up on his daughter and he gives Madara an annoyed look.

* * *

Madara sighs. He knew what that look was for. Izuna wasn't happy about having to lie to Mikoto. Still it had to be done. They couldn't have them calling the police. That would certainly only make things worse.

"You know that it had to be done." The elder Uchiha says.

"I know. That doesn't make it any easier though. She's such a good girl. Anyway, let's finish packing. Sasuke needs our help. The sooner we get there, the better for him." Izuna says.

He couldn't believe that somehow his grandson had gotten involved with not one, but two Crime Families. This was like something out of an old detective novel or something. Thank goodness, that Madara had realized what was going on. Maybe they could find a way to resolve this.

"Oh don't look so forlorn. Think of it as a grand adventure. This could be fun. Let's go rough up some gang members. It'll be just like the old days. You know back in the army and that other division tried to mess with us. We gave them what for, didn't we?" Madara asks smugly.

Izuna smirks. He remembered that incident well. Unfortunately, that was then. This was now. They had families to think of. They couldn't just brazenly risk their lives like that.

"Yes, we certainly did. I doubt that it will be so easy this time though." He whispers.

"Oh stop being such an old fuddy duddy. We can do this. Well it looks like we are all packed. Let's head to the Log Cabin and prepare for battle." Madara says cheerfully.

Izuna smacks his forehead. His brother was completely insane. He was acting like this was some kind of video game. It wasn't. This was real life.


	14. This isn't Supposed to be Fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final battle has arrived and someone unexpected joins the fray.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you enjoy this chapter.
> 
> Chapter Notation: I only do happy endings. Keep that in mind as you read this.

Kimimaro and Jugo finally came up with a good possible location for where Hinata and Sasuke were staying. Jugo sighs. It was a shame really. All of this could have been prevented.

Well there was no turning back now, he supposed. Once Kimimaro made up his mind to do something, he was going to do it. Jugo was just going to go along for the ride to support his best friend and to somewhat limit the carnage.

"Shouldn't we take more people with us?" Jugo asks as they head towards the Log Cabin.

"No. It'll just be Hinata, Sasuke, and the dog. Hinata isn't much of a threat. The dog can be easily neutralized, if it comes to that. I'd rather not have to do so. I do like animals and it really is a beautiful beast. The two of us should be more than a match for Sasuke. He just got lucky last time." The silver haired man mutters.

Jugo blinks. Kimimaro was willing to shoot the dog? He'd never said something like that before. That was cold.

"What's our plan?" He asks softly.

"Preferably we grab Sasuke and get out of there before Hinata even realizes what is going on. I'd rather not have her cross at me for killing her old boyfriend, if possible." The young criminal says.

"And if that isn't possible?" The gentle giant inquires.

Kimimaro sighs. Well then things would get ugly. Still what better way to prove that you cared about someone than to kill for them? That was how Kaguya's showed their love really.

"We'll do what needs to be done. We can't let this insult go unaddressed. That and I doubt that she will consent to the match as long as he still breathes." He reasons.

Jugo merely nods as they continue driving for awhile. Eventually, they get to the beautiful Log Cabin in the woods. Whoever this Gaara was, he had good taste.

"So I guess if we are going with stealth, I can't just break down the door." He muses.

"That's right." The other man says as he gets out of the car and heads towards the door.

He'd just have to go back to the basics. Lock picking. It was a skill that Kaguyas started learning almost as soon as they could walk. Even for advanced locks like this, Kimimaro knew precisely what to do.

It doesn't take long for him to pick the lock. He gestures for Jugo to follow him. As always, he does.

"Make sure you have your guns at the ready. I'll take the upstairs, you take the downstairs." Kimimaro whispers softly.

Jugo nods as he heads upstairs. Almost as soon as the man headed upstairs, a dog comes out. He sees Kimimaro and goes on all alert. He growls.

The growling attracted the attention of Hanabi. The young woman comes out of her room in confusion. Her eyes widen when she sees the marking on his head and Kimimaro sighs. It was obvious that she knew who he was.

"Shush. If you're quiet, I won't hurt you." He whispers.

"SASUKE! HINATA! NEJI! THEIR HERE! THE KAGUYAS ARE HERE!" Hanabi screams.

That did it. Shadow sprang into action. He lunges at Kimimaro. This human had scared one of his Mistresses. He had to be dealt with.

"Don't make me shoot you, boy." The silver haired man says as he narrowly dodges the angry dog.

Shadow snarls at Kimimaro and tries to chase him outside the house. Kimimaro fires off a warning shot, which startled the dog for a moment. The loud sound from the shot, shocked him just long enough for him to grab Hanabi.

"Sasuke, Hanabi!" Hinata exclaims in their room.

"Get your gun ready. Let's hope that it's just Kimimaro." Sasuke mutters as he makes sure his gun is loaded and ready to fire.

Hinata nods. Her hands were shaking. She couldn't believe that it had come to this. How had it come to them preparing to fight a life or death battle with at least one criminal?

"Sorry, but it's not just him." Jugo says as he stands in the doorway, with his gun pointed at them.

Hinata gulps. The other man was a complete giant. Sasuke was by no means small, but this man must have been at least twice as big as Sasuke. Maybe three times. He also had a rather expensive looking gun in his hand.

"You aren't a Kaguya. You don't have that mark on you. So you are just a hired thug. This isn't your fight. You can get out of here. You can run. Do you honestly thing they won't turn on you the second they get a chance?" Sasuke hisses at him as he raises his own gun.

"Oh you don't know them as well as you think. Kimimaro is the kindest man that I've ever met. I don't even really want to kill you. I tried to talk some sense into him, but you went and attacked a Kaguya. Family honor won't allow him not to answer that offense." Jugo replies.

Hinata closes her eyes and fires off her gun. She aims it at Jugo's leg. The massive man cries out and she rushes at him. The orange haired man falls over from the force of the blow and Hinata rushing at him. Sasuke soon follows her.

"Hinata, be careful. A man like that isn't going to stay down for long." Sasuke says.

"What are you talking about? I shot him in the leg?!" The bluenette asks as they race down the hall and head towards the stairs.

That's when Jugo gets up. He grunts in pain and clutches his now badly bleeding leg. Damn it. He really wished that bullet proof pants were a thing. Wait. Did those actually exist? It would have been nice, if they did.

"You are making this way harder than it has to be." He growls as he chases after them.

"Hinata, run!" Sasuke says as he turns around to face Jugo and block the criminal's path towards his girlfriend.

"I'm not leaving you behind!" She says.

"Just go! Hanabi needs your help!" Sasuke roars at her and the young woman races off, down the stairs.

Jugo glares at Sasuke. He really wished that things hadn't come to this. The guy was potentially willing to die to protect his lover. He really didn't deserve this. Unfortunately, he had sealed his fate the moment he shot Kimimaro.

"I'll try to make this quick." He says.

"Funny, I was about to make the same offer to you." Sasuke tells him and aims his gun at Jugo.

Kimimaro was trying his best to dodge the dog. Sadly, he wouldn't be able to shoot the German Shepherd without hitting Hanabi. Hinata might be able to forgive him for the dog, but she'd never forgive him for Hanabi.

"Get away from my sister!" Hinata yells at him.

"Hinata, it's good to see you again. I do apologize about this unpleasantness." He says smoothly.

Neji heard the commotion. He had quietly slipped out of his room and crawled on the floor. He was currently behind the couch. He just needed a good opening to take the shot.

"Unpleasantness is putting it mildly." He mutters under his breath.

"Kimimaro, leave. No one has to die here today. If you don't leave, I will shoot you." Hinata warns him.

Kimimaro raises an eyebrow. He highly doubted that the Hyuga Princess would shoot him. Still it was nice to see that she would go to bat for her family. That was always an attractive quality in a wife.

"I would say the same. No one has to die today. Call off your attack dog and we can leave together." He states.

He was lying of course. Sasuke was going to have to die. Still he could make that look like an accident if he had to.

Kimimaro wasn't stupid. He knew that he'd have to wait awhile to do it. Hinata was smart enough to realize what had happened, if he ordered Sasuke's assassination right away.

"I'm not going anywhere with you. Call off your goon and I might call off Shadow." She yells at him.

"Hinata! Run! This man is crazy!" Hanabi calls out to her sister desperately.

Kimimaro gives Hanabi a dirty look. The last thing he needed was for her to give Hinata ideas. If he could avoid Shadow, he'd knock her out and then maybe he could have a real conversation with his future wife.

"Hinata, call off the dog or I will shot him. I don't want to have to do it, but I will." The silver haired man warns her.

Neji peeks out from behind the couch ever so slightly. He aims his shot and knocks the gun out of Kimimaro's hand with one well placed shot. It was drop the gun or have a bullet go through his hand.

"YOU SNEAKY SON OF A BITCH!" Kimimaro snarls as he lunges at Neji.

The two men were soon rolling around the floor. Punches, kicks, and even bites were being exchanged. Hinata's eyes widen in horror. She'd never be able to get a clear shot at Kimimaro, with Neji that close to him.

"Hanabi, get to the car and get out of here! Go get the police!" She warns her sister.

Hanabi looks at her sister and cousin fearfully. She nods and bolts for the door though. It really was their best chance at surviving all this. The young woman knew that she had to get help and that was exactly what she was going to do.

"DAMN IT!" Kimimaro growls as he tries to shove Neji off of him and chase after Hanabi.

Neji was not an easy opponent to defeat though. Both of them had been trained in fighting. On in the elegant system of self-defense that the Hyugas had developed and one in street fighting.

* * *

Meanwhile Madara and Izuna were heading back to the cabin. The two brothers blink when they saw the door was open. That wasn't like any of the cabin's inhabitants to be so careless. They were generally rather good at keeping the door closed to make sure Shadow didn't run off.

"I don't recognize that car. Three guesses what we are about to walk into." Izuna mutters.

"Good thing we never leave home without our guns." Madara says with a smirk.

Izuna sighs. His brother was truly borderline insane. This was not a fucking video game. Why was he smiling like a manic at the thought of potential facing off against dangerous criminals?

"You do realize this isn't supposed to be fun, right?" Izuna demands.

"Why can't it be fun? Who said that? Now let's go save them! We might be old, but we aren't dead. I can work a gun as well as any twenty something." The wild haired man replies.

Oh God help him. Forget about borderline insane. Madara was just insane.

Izuna sighs as the two of them get out of the car and head to towards the house. That's when Hanabi came running out of the house and straight into Izuna's stomach.

"Help! Help! We have to call the cops. We are under attack by two gang members! My big sister, cousin, and sister's boyfriend are all fighting them." She says desperately and blinks when she saw Madara.

"You can get in our car. We have bulletproof glass. You should be safe in there. We are going to help them." Izuna tells her.

Hanabi looks a bit skeptical of that. She wasn't sure how a pair of men who had to be at least in their sixties, if not their seventies were going to be able to help against two young thugs like Kimimaro and Jugo.

"I know that we might be spring chickens anymore, but we can handle it. You had better hurry." Madara says as Hanabi gets in the car and quickly takes out her cell phone to call the police.

They head inside. Izuna blinks when he saw a silver haired man rolling around with a Hyuga. It didn't take long to figure out what was going on.

"Smart dog. He knows not to get in the middle of that one. He might hurt him by accident." Izuna says.

"I can take the shot." Madara says as he fires off a shot.

It hits Kimimaro's shoulder. The man cries out in pain and lets go of Neji long enough for the Hyuga to get off of him.

It was hard to tell who had been "winning" that fight. Neji was worse for wear. He had a black eye and some blood was coming out of his mouth. It was likely he had at least a broken hand. Kimimaro clearly had a broken nose, it was bleeding profusely. He also had some bruises.

"How dare you interfere?!" Kimimaro roars at Madara.

The man clutches his shoulder and starts swinging at him with his good hand. He was too angry to even think about using his gun. Madara grunts in pain when Kimimaro's fist makes contact with his face.

"That's not nice to beat up a senior citizen." He says as he grabs Kimimaro's hand and throws him over his shoulder.

"What the fuck is it with Uchihas and the shoulder slam?!" Kimimaro demands.

"Oh you like that one? I taught it to Sasuke when he was 12. It's a good move isn't it?" Madara says cheekily and soon enough the two men were trading blows.

Neji, Izuna, and Hinata could only watch in horror as the two fought. Madara was more than holding his own considering his age, but it was clear that Kimimaro would be the one who had more staying power, if he didn't end the fight quickly.

* * *

Back upstairs, Sasuke smirks. He could hear shots being fired. That hadn't been Hinata, Hanabi, or Neji's cry of pain. Kimimaro had been hit.

"Sounds like your friend isn't having a good day either." He taunts him.

"NO! KIMIMARO!" Jugo says as shoves Sasuke out of the way and races down the stairs.

Well he was racing as fast as he could. Sasuke blinks. It was impressive how fast the giant was running. He did have a bullet in one of his legs, after all.

Sasuke quickly follows Jugo. His eyes widen when he saw Madara fighting with the other criminal. Hinata looked like she was okay. Neji was definitely worse for wear and the dog was looking for an opening to attack.

"Die, you stupid son of a bitch!" Kimimaro calls out as he briefly manages to get away from Madara long enough to fire a shot at Sasuke.

Hinata jumps in front of her boyfriend and pins him to the ground. The bullet hit where her heart would be and she falls to the ground. Everyone's eyes widen in terror.

"YOU FUCKING KILLED HER!" Sasuke snarls at Kimimaro and charges at him.

The two men were a blur of fists, punches, and inhuman sounds as they tore into each other. They sounded more like animals than anything else.

"So I guess this is why you had to reschedule our date." Izuna hears a familiar feminine voice call out.

"Tsunade? What are you doing here?! Get out of here, it's not safe!" He yells at her.

Tsunade raises an eyebrow. She knew Izuna Uchiha. Say what you will about the man, he was always punctual and showed up when he said he was going to. So when he had to reschedule their date, she knew that something was up.

Whenever something was up with Izuna, it was usually because of Madara. Madara meant trouble. Trouble meant that she was one annoyed blonde. So she had come ready.

"I figured that Madara had dragged you into all sorts of trouble. He usually does. I wasn't expecting all THIS though." She says as she tosses him something.

"What's this?" Izuna asks in confusion.

"Stun gun. Fire. Doesn't matter if it hits your loved ones. I won't cause permanent damage. In that respect, it's different than a regular gun." She says as she aims hers at Kimimaro.

She had worked in law enforcement for over 30 years before she retired. She recognized that mark on his forehead. He was a Kaguya. They had been the absolute ban of the police department for as far back as anyone could remember.

Oh they had always known that the Kaguya Clan was involved in violent crime. Unfortunately, they had never been able to prove it. Now she had her proof and she wasn't going to let him get away.

"AHHHH!" Kimimaro cries out as he is hit.

Tsunade rushes over and cuffs him. Ah yes, handcuffs. God, did she love handcuffs. They were so dreadfully useful (and fun in certain circumstances)! Honestly, she had been hoping to use them with Izuna later on, if things went well. But certain sacrifices had to be made when dealing with criminals.

"GET OFF OF ME, YOU CRAZY BITCH!" Kimimaro snarls at her.

"No. I don't think so. You are coming with me down to the station." She says.

Izuna blinks. He had known that Tsunade used to be a cop. He didn't realize that she still had her weapons or handcuffs though.

The Uchiha shakes his head to get over the surreal sensation he was experiencing and fires off his weapon at Jugo. It didn't take long for the gentle giant to go down and for Tsunade to cuffs him.

"How many cuffs do you have?!" Madara demands.

"Just two. I always bring a spare." She says with a smile.

"Well damn. You got a woman who likes to play with handcuffs, brother. I'm proud of you." Madara says and Izuna glowers at him as he tries not to blush.

Neji sighs sadly. At least the bad guys had been taken care of. Hinata was dead though. He felt a crushing weight on his heart, as if an elephant had decided to sit on his chest. He had no idea how he was going to explain this to Hanabi.

"Oh no. That poor girl." Izuna says sadly.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what happened. A young woman was laying lifelessly on the ground. The shot must have been fatal. His grandson had just lost his girlfriend in a gunfight.

Sasuke rushes over to Hinata. He fully expected to be cradling her corpse. He holds her tightly.

"Arf! Arf!" Shadow says as he races over to his Master's side, trying to help him save the Mistress.

Madara lowers his eyes. Poor kid. He couldn't imagine the pain that Sasuke must be going through now. They had defeated the "bad guys," but at the cost of her life.

"I'm so sorry." He whispers and almost jumps when he felt Hinata reach fro him.

He couldn't believe that she was gone. Hinata was dead before their lives together had ever really had a chance to begin. If only he had just listened to Kimimaro. If he had backed off, maybe Hinata would still be alive.

Sasuke feels tears sliding down his cheeks. He had lost her. Damn it! He had lost her! All because he had been too damn proud and stubborn to just listen to common sense.

"Sasuke, why are you crying?" Hinata mutters in a daze.

"HINATA! YOU'RE ALIVE!" He shouts joyously.

"Yes. I think so. L-little dizzy. The necklace must have blocked the bullet. I think it's broken." She mumbles.

Sauske hugs her tightly to his chest. She was alive! She was alive!

"We can always get another necklace. We can't get another you. Oh thank God. I thought that we had all lost you." He whispers.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." She whispers and hugs him back.

Everyone else breathes a sigh of relief. Well except Jugo and Kimimaro. They were still too stunned to really realize what was going on at the moment.

* * *

Meanwhile a group of police cars arrives on the scene. The police had arrived. Hanabi was still on her cell phone and talking to them. She knew getting out of the car with bulletproof glass in this case, was still a bad idea.

"Their all inside officers. The criminals are armed." She warns them.

"Alright. We'll take it from here." The cops say as they head inside the Log Cabin.

Once they enter, the officers blink in confusion. Two men were handcuffed and appeared rather dazed. It looked like one Hell of a fight had just happened.

"Would someone care to explain to us what has been going on?" Kakashi asks.

"It's a very long story, Kakashi. These two men broke and enter. I have reason to believe that they wanted to kill or kidnap at least one of these people. A fight ensured. Shots were exchanged. I was able to stun them and handcuff them." The busty blonde explains.

The silver haired cop rubs the back of his head sheepishly. He remembered Tsunade. She used to be the Chief of Police before she retired. So he knew that he could trust her word. Still proof would be nice.

"Does this place have a security system?" He asks.

"Yes, it does." Neji answers him.

"Good. We'll just get some of the footage. I believe all of you, of course. A court of law, might not though. So it's always good to have evidence." The officer says as he instructs some of the other cops to carry Kimimaro and Jugo to the squad cars.

The Hyugas, Uchihas, and Tsunade all breathe a sigh of relief. It was over. They had won. Well at least this battle. There was still the matter that they were likely going to have one pissed off Crime Family after them.

"This will be great. We can interrogate them and find out the truth about the Kaguya Clan." Anko says.

"Indeed. Don't worry about anything. We will make sure that they don't come after you." Kakashi promises them.

"Thank you." Hinata whispers.

The officer nods. He was still going to need them to come down to the station. Official statements would have to be taken.

"I would like you all to come down to the station. Unless you feel the need to seek out medical care first." He offers.

"No. It's probably best to just get it out of the way." Sasuke says with a sigh.

"Alright. Come on. This shouldn't take more than a couple hours at most. It's just for the record. You have a security system. It recorded everything anyway. So this case should be a slam dunk." He continues.

The group nod their heads gratefully. It didn't take long for them all to follow Kakashi down to the station. Shadow even went with them.

He might not fully understand what was going on, but he knew his owners had been in danger. He wasn't sure it was over. So Shadow was going with them.

"Such a good dog." Sasuke says with a smile and pets him.

"Arf! Arf!" Shadow barks happily at the praising and petting.


	15. Quite Lively

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things grow quite amusing and romantic after the final battle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

A few weeks later, Mikoto set about giving her father and uncle the tongue lashings of their lives. Everyone else took several steps back to watch the spectacle. The raven haired woman was on a roll.

"OF ALL THE IRRESPONSIBLE THINGS TO DO! I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU ENCOURAGED MY SON TO FIGHT A CRIMINAL FAMILY AND WEREN'T EVEN PLANNING ON TELLING US!" She thunders at them.

Izuna rubs the back of his head sheepishly. Logically, he knew that his daughter damn good reason to be angry. Still it was over now. She should be happy that they won and oh were those chocolate chip cookies? His daughter really did make the best chocolate chip cookies.

"Mikoto, we didn't wish to worry you. Besides, we are all fine. Kimimaro and Jugo are in jail. There is no reason to be upset anymore." Izuna says in his most reasonable voice.

"Oh boy. That was the wrong thing to say." Shisui warns him.

Yes, it was the wrong thing to say. Mikoto slaps him. The dark beauty twitches and fumes.

"No reason to be upset?! You could have all died! You all got damn lucky. Madara, I know that this was likely mostly your doing. What do you have to say for yourself?!" She demands.

"More or less, I have the same thing to say as my brother. Calm down." Madara says.

Itachi shakes his head. Oh that wasn't going to end well for his great uncle. Mikoto charges at Madara and chases him out of the house. The middle aged woman chases the elderly man down the street and well the neighbors were all staring, wondering what was going on.

"Your family is quite lively." Hinata whispers to Sasuke.

Sasuke nods. His mother had read the newspaper. Thanks to interrogating Jugo and Kimimaro, the police were finally able to track down the Kaguya Clan.

To say the least, they had been a rather busy police department the past few weeks. Even the FBI, had to be called in to give them a hand with tracking down all the Kaguyas. So yeah that had made a big splash on the front page.

"You are all insane. I hope you realize that. Your mother is right, Sasuke. You could have been killed." Fugaku says.

The youngest Uchiha sighs. He knew that they were right. Still it was over now. Everyone could live happily ever after.

"I know. It wouldn't have been my preference to get into a gunfight with two gang members either. We all made it out alive. Isn't that the important thing? Oh and we were responsible for the take down of one of the largest Crime Families in the country. Shouldn't you guys be proud of us?" Sasuke asks innocently.

"Arf! Arf!" Shadows says and his tail wags in agreement.

Izuna raises an eyebrow. Sometimes he thought that dog actually understood what they were saying. He smiles and gives him an ear scratch.

"Sasuke, you know that is not the point!" Fugaku thunders at him.

"So you are saying you would rather the Kaguyas were still free and terrorizing people?" His son asks.

"YES! Wait. NO! Of course not! But you all put your lives at stake and it was very foolish. You're all very lucky to be alive. And don't you start sassing me boy. You might be an adult now, but you are never too old for a spanking!" He warns him.

Hinata giggles. Everyone gives her a funny look. She eeps and blushes scarlet.

"Well it looks like my brother is finally living up to his title, judging by that giggle. I presume that spanking was somehow involved." Itachi notes in amusement.

"Itachi. Just shut it." Sasuke warns him.

Of course, Itachi wouldn't. He was Sasuke's older brother. It was in the Older Brother Handbook that you must mock your little brother without mercy at every opportunity. Really, he was just being a good older brother.

"What title is that?" Madara asks in amusement.

"Doctor Love. It's what the nurses call him behind his back." Shisui says with a snicker.

Sasuke twitches. He lunges at his cousin and brother. He wasn't sure who he would hit first. He just knew that his pride would not allow that to go unaddressed. How DARE they tell his crazy great uncle that?!

"I hate you both, so much right now." Sasuke growls.

"Doctor Love? Sounds like he takes right after us." Madara says smugly.

Izuna shakes his head. He kisses Tsunade's cheek and just watches the chaos that was his family. Sometimes it was really unfortunate to be the baby of the group. He was grateful that Sasuke was now the youngest and now him anymore.

"Oh stop teasing the poor boy and girl." He notes with a chuckle.

"That'd probably be a good idea." Tsunade says as she notes with some alarm, how red Hinata's face was.

* * *

A few minutes later, Mikoto comes back in and is dragging Madara by the ear. Sasuke and Itachi blink. That was a rather disturbing sight actually.

"I do believe your crazy great uncle has learned his lesson about trying to relive his war days." She grumbles.

"Owe! Owe! Damn it, woman! That's my ear." He grumbles.

"You're lucky that it's just your ear and not somewhere lower." Fugaku warns him.

Madara's eyes widen in horror. Everyone else had a good laugh at the veteran's expression. Even Shadow's tail was wagging.

"Right. Hinata, do you want to go home now? It's starting to get late and I'd rather not have to drive after dark on those roads." Sasuke says.

"Sounds good to me. It was nice seeing all of you!" Hinata says happily as she heads off with her lover.

Sasuke shakes his head in amusement. It didn't take them long to drive home. Thankfully, their place wasn't far from his parents. (A fact that Mikoto and Fugaku enjoyed taking advantage of).

"Oh looks like Hanabi and Neji called while we were out." Hinata says as she checks her phone.

"You should probably get back to them." Sasuke says as he ushers Shadow inside.

Hinata nods. She quickly dials their number and smiles when Neji picks up. He was always so responsive.

"Hey, Neji. I got your message." Hinata says.

"Hinata, have you read the paper this morning?" Her cousin inquires.

"Oh yes. I saw it. It's great news. The Kaguya Clan has finally been taken down. Thankfully, they didn't turn our Clan in. I think they knew if they did, that their fate would be far worse than prison." She says in a tone of voice that sent a few chills down Sasuke's spine.

Sometimes he forgot. He forgot that Hinata had been raised by a major Crime Family. His angel could be quite vicious, if she really wanted to be.

"Yes, that's a relief. Well I just wanted to see if you had read it. I should be going soon. I have a date with Tenten in about an hour." He says happily.

"That's wonderful news! Give her my best. I still have to get back to Hanabi. I'll talk to you later. Have fun." Hinata says as she hangs up on Neji.

Sasuke smiles and kisses Hinata's cheek. He calls out to Shadow and had the dog follow him to the kitchen. While Hinata was on the phone with Hanabi, he got Shadow his dinner.

"Hey, Hanabi." Hinata says into the phone.

"Big sister! It's good to hear from you! I was starting to think that Sasuke might have chained you to the bed. Did you see the paper today? They caught them. They caught all of them! Oh and I have a date tonight." She says cheerfully.

Sasuke smirks. He heard that. Hmm chaining Hinata to the bed certainly had possibilities.

"Yes, I saw the paper. That's great news about them catching the Kaguyas and your having a date. Who are you going out with and no, Sasuke hasn't chained me to the bed." She replies, blushing scarlet.

"His name is Konohamaru. He goes to my school. He's really cute. Well I gotta go. I need to figure out what I'm going to wear" Hanabi says happily.

"Alright. Let me know how it goes later." The elder Hyuga woman instructs as she hangs up.

* * *

Sasuke smirks as he heads over to his lover. He smiles and kisses her forehead. Once the phone was down, he decides to pounce.

"You know that tying you to the bed thing has some definite possibilities." He notes.

"Sasuke!" She squeaks.

"I'm just saying. Though I'm happy as long as I'm with my very sexy nurse, no matter what the position is." He continues as he places some soft kisses along the back of her neck.

Hinata sighs in contentment and leans back into him. She loved her family, but she was very relieved that it was just them now. Well just them and Shadow. Though somehow she doubted the dog was going to care too much, if he walked in on them.

"And I'm very happy as long as I'm with my sexy doctor." She tells him.

"Good." Sasuke says and he scoops up Hinata in his arms and carries her off to his study.

Hinata giggles and smiles. She wraps her arms around his neck. The bluenette was perfectly content to be carried off Bridal Style.

He smiles and sets her down on the desk. Sasuke leans down and kisses her. He smirks when he felt Hinata return the kiss almost immediately.

"We've never used a desk like this before." She whispers after she broke the kiss.

"There's a first time for everything." Sasuke informs her.

Hinata blushes and nods. She was almost positive at this point that Sasuke could talk her into almost anything. He could be very **_persuasive_** when he wanted to be.

She smiles and starts unbuttoning his shirt. It didn't matter how many times she saw him naked, the effect was still striking. He might have been a doctor, but he could have been a personal trainer, if he wanted to.

"When do you find time to sneak off to the gym? You're always with me or at the hospital." She muses as she glides her hands over the muscular planes of his chest and over his biceps.

"Mostly I practice marital arts with Naruo, Itachi, or Shisui. Besides, sex does count as exercise." He states smugly.

**Warning Lemon**

Hinata giggles. She supposed that it could be a pretty strenuous physical activity, but the Hyuga woman had never thought of it that way. As she was giggling, Sasuke quickly slide off her skirt and jacket.

"I'd say that I'd prefer you not to wear so many layers of clothes. Your body shouldn't be covered up, but I'll admit that I am a little possessive." Sasuke says.

He leans over and lavishes her neck with kisses, licks, and love bites. Hinata was sure that he was going to leave more than one mark. She didn't care though. It felt good and gave her an opportunity to run her fingers through his hair.

She really liked his hair. It was surprisingly soft, despite the spiky appearance. Hinata could hear Sasuke rumble with approval at this action and blushes when she felt him briefly pull away from her, just long enough to slide off her shirt and bra.

"Red silk? I like it." He says with a smirk.

"I thought you might. You do seem to like that color." She says as she reaches for the zipper of his pants.

Hinata hated how easily she blushed sometimes. Despite the fact that this was hardly the first time they had been **_together,_** she still blushed like it was. Though Sasuke did seem to approve of her response to being mostly naked.

"Such a shy angel." He muses as he kisses her and helps Hinata tug off his pants and boxers.

Hinata moans into the kiss and happily returns it. She quickly takes him into her hand and begins stroking him. One thing that she had learned about Sasuke is that when given a choice, he definitely preferred to savor the moment. So she slowly glides her hand up and down the length of his impressive erection.

Sasuke groans and bucks into her hand. Alright, maybe she wasn't THAT shy. God, that felt good.

He deepens the kiss and caresses her breasts. Those were always fun to play with. Sasuke especially liked the sexy sounds that Hinata would make when he did so.

"I'm not that shy." She mumbles defiantly after breaking the kiss and she wraps her legs around him.

The only thing separating them was a rather fragile red silk thong. Both of them moaned at the almost contact. Naturally, Sasuke couldn't help but brush against her teasingly.

"You're right. You're not. Though it is very cute when you blush." Sasuke informs her with a smirk as he licks one of her nipples briefly before sucking on it and massaging her other breast.

Hinata gasps and moans. She arches against her lover wantonly as she wraps her legs around him tighter and slides her hands up and down his back in a gentle massage.

He really did like the sounds she made. He treasured every little mew of pleasure, gasp, moan, and especially the screams. Hinata for such a quiet woman in her everyday life was rather vocal during their lovemaking.

"Nhhh! Yeah!" She moans as she moves her hands towards the front, sliding them Sasuke's muscular chest and back down to his arousal again.

"Beautiful." Sauke murmurs approvingly as he moves further south, peppering her stomach with butterfly kisses before he finally parts her legs and tugs off her thong completely.

She blushed. It was a little embarrassing that she was already wet for him. Sasuke definitely noticed because he smirked, before burying his head between her thighs and licking her.

She would never understand why that felt so **_good._** Hinata moans and throws her head back in pleasure as she continues stroking him. The nurse could tell that he was enjoying it, just as much as she was by the way he bucked into her hand.

"Have I mentioned how much I adore how sensitive you?" Sasuke says with a smirk, as he briefly pauses his administrations to ask her.

"Have I mentioned that I have a black belt and karate and I will use it, if you stop again?" She pants out.

"Yes, Ma'am!" Sasuke chuckles and he goes back to lavishing her womanhood with his hot, rough tongue.

Hinata moans. It should almost be illegal to be that good with your tongue. She could feel her orgasm spiraling towards her. With one final well placed flick of his tongue, she lost it. The bluenette's orgasm washed over her like a powerful tsunami.

"Yeah. Still loving how sensitive you are." Sasuke informs her with a cocky smirk as he wraps her legs around his waist and before Hinata could issue a retort, he slides into her.

Hinata moans and wraps her legs around him even tighter. It always felt so good when they were joined together like this. She'd forgive him for his arrogant remarks.

"Still loving how big you are." She confesses as she rolls her hips and arches into her lover wantonly.

Sasuke kisses her as he begins slowly moving inside her. He'd never get tired of this. She was always so hot, tight, and wet. Every single time. It drove him in insane, but it was a beautiful insanity.

They fit together so perfectly. It was like they were two pieces of the same puzzle. In many respects, they were complete opposites physically. Yet they lined up so well. His body was hard and firm. Hers was soft and curvy. The physical contrasts alone were beautiful and erotic.

"I love everything about you." Sasuke says after breaking the kiss and his hands begin to glide down her delightfully ample curves.

"I feel the say way!" His lover says as the two fall into an easy sensual rhythm.

It was hard to tell where one began and the other ended. To them it didn't matter though. They were one entity at the moment. An entity that was practically delirious from the joy that their coupling brought them.

Hinata moans every time her lover brushed up against that spot inside her that made her see stars and her toes curl in pleasure. It was always so intense. With almost everyone else, she had been an afterthought. That was never the case with Sasuke, she definitely had his undivided **_attention_** and that felt really, really good.

"I don't think my desk has ever looked more beautiful than it does with you on it." Sasuke whispers into her ear hotly as he begins claiming her faster and faster.

"Oh God!" Hinata moans.

She was now passed the point of being coherent. If you had asked her what her own name was, she probably wouldn't have been able to tell you. But Hinata would have been able to tell you Sasuke's. She was screaming it over and over again.

That was of course music to the youngest Uchiha's ears. That combined with how wickedly hot, tight, and wet his lover felt wrapped around his cock was enough to send him over the edge. It didn't take him long to spill his seed in side her or for his beautiful lover to join him in finding release.

"I think that counts as some very good exercise." Hinata says with a giggle as Sasuke slides out of her.

"The best exercise routine ever." He agrees as pulls her off to the desk and carries her to their room.

**End of Lemon**

* * *

That was one of the nice things about them having their own place. They could make love without having any fear that someone would walk in on them. Hinata and Sasuke didn't even have to bother to get dressed, before Sasuke takes her to their room.

"Mine." Sasuke says simply as he sets her down on the bed gently and soon joins her.

"Someone's possessive." Hinata observes.

"Damn right I'm possessive. First, there was Kabuto. Then there was Kimimaro. The next crazy stalker that tries to harass you is going to end up dead." He mutters as he wraps his arms around her.

Hinata didn't know if that was sweet or disturbing. She decides to settle on sweet. Her body was far too satisfied to be overly concerned at the moment.

"We still have to talk to my father about what happened though. I haven't returned any of his calls since what happened. He's going to come looking for us sooner or later." She warns him.

Sasuke sighs. He cuddles to his lover and nods. That was true. They couldn't keep avoiding Hiashi Hyuga forever.

Sasuke wasn't particularly fond of the guy. He'd never met him face to face, but he knew enough about Hinata's childhood to definitely carry a grudge. Still he supposed that he had a right to at least know what had happened.

"I don't like him already. It's because of his pride that you, Hanabi, and Neji almost died. Oh and of course me, Madara, and Izuna." He states.

"I know, but we do need to face him eventually. Besides, together we can do anything." Hinata says with a smile.

The raven haired man nods in agreement at that assessment. That was true. After all, they had helped to take down one of the most dangerous Crime Families in the country together.

Surely, they could handle on Hyuga Patriarch. How bad could it be? Years later, Sasuke would regret even thinking that question in his head. He should have known that was a jinx.

"That's true. Get some sleep my love." He tells her as he kisses his lover's forehead.

"Mmm alright. You should too. It'll likely be a very long day when we confront him tomorrow." The bluenette warns him.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. Tomorrow? He didn't like the sound of that. Why did they have to rush off and talk to him so soon? They should make the prick wait a bit.

"Tomorrow?" He asks skeptically and Hinata nods in confirmation.

"Yes, the longer we put it off, the worse it's going to be. It's better just to get it over with. Don't you think?" She asks softly.

Sasuke sighs. Maybe that was true. That didn't mean he had to like it though. Tomorrow was definitely going to suck.

"Alright. We'll go and talk to him tomorrow then. I guess there's no point in putting it off much longer. You're right." Sasuke admits.

"Of course, I'm right. Things will be much easier for you once you realize that from the beginning." The Hyuga woman says with a giggle.

Sasuke smirks as he reaches over to table by the bed. He pulls something out of it and Hinata watches curiously. The youngest Uchiha had scooped up a small box.

"Good point. Well what does my smart and sexy nurse think about this?" He asks as he opens the box.

Instead was a beautiful silver banned wedding ring with a large emerald in a princess cut in the center and tree diamonds lining both sides of it. It was a wedding ring!

"Oh God! Sasuke, it's beautiful!" Hinata says in shock.

"Good. It suits you then. So what do you say? Will you marry me? Yes, I have a crazy great uncle, but I think the fact that your father is a crime boss probably balances that out." He says with a smile.

"Yes!" Hinata says as she pounces her lover and pins him playfully underneath her.

Sasuke smirks. Well he didn't expect to actually get pinned, but he definitely wasn't going to argue with the view. He'd be an idiot to do that. Sasuke Uchiha was many things, but an idiot most certainly wasn't one of them.

"Great. I was hoping you would say that." He says with a smirk.

"Arf! Arf!" Shadow comes in and licks their faces excitedly.

"Sasuke, do you think Shadow understands that you just proposed?" Hinata asks with a giggle.

Sasuke blinks. He tilts his head to the side as if considering it. Shadow was a very smart dog, after all.

"I think he just might." Sasuke says after thinking about it.

"I hope the rest of our families take the news as well as he did." Hinata says with a laugh.

"Oh I'm sure they will. My mother is probably going to be a little traumatizing though. She's been dreaming about grandchildren for awhile and a wedding will just amp up her grandbaby hysteria. So you have been warned." Sasuke states.

Hinata shakes her head in amusement. She highly doubted that Mikoto Uchiha would be that terrifying. She did seem like a very sweet woman. (Well at least when she wasn't threatening Madara).

"I think that we can handle it." Hinata says.

"Alright. Just remember that I warned you." Sasuke tells her with a smirk.


	16. Fireworks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Find out what happened to everyone four years after the final battle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you enjoy the grand finale of Doctor love and feel free to check out my other stories if you're interested.

"Morning, Jugo." Sasuke says as he walks into the hospital, four years later.

Jugo and Kimimaro had been able to plead insanity in their court cases. Really, they only acted that way because of brainwashing. So they had gotten off extremely lightly.

The usually gentle giant had only served a year behind bars, but he still had another two years of probation before he was all in the clear. Sasuke had pleaded for mercy for the orange haired man, once he realized what had led him to help Kimimaro in the first place. Hence the light sentence.

"Morning, Sasuke." He says cheerfully.

Mostly due to Sasuke's efforts, that meant Jugo had only gotten one year of actual prison time and five of probation. So he called Sasuke his cage. He prevented the large man from being 'eaten by the wolves.'

Jugo referred to the Kaguya Clan as wolves. It made sense. They were predators and definitely a bunch of pack animals. In his own way, the gentle giant was extremely logical, Sasuke privately muses. (He was also an excellent security guard for the hospital now).

"Hello, Sasuke. You may wish to use another office besides room 383 today." Izuna says as he strides down the hallway with his wife Tsunade at his side.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. He was almost afraid to ask why. Still he was going to anyway.

"Why should I avoid that office? It's a nice office." The raven haired doctor protests.

"Madara is giving Mei a rather thorough 'check up.' So I don't think you want to go in there." Tsunade warns him.

Sasuke blinks. Alright. Yeah. He was definitely going to avoid 383 today then. There was no way that he wanted to see his crazy uncle getting it on with the feisty senior citizen.

At first, Madara had definitely be interested in the green eyed vixen., but hadn't said anything because he thought she was too young for him. It turned out that Mei just dyed her hair and had good genes. She was actually only five years younger than Madara, though she could have passed for forty or fifty tops. Then again, so could Madara. So aseptically, it worked out rather well.

"I'll have to tell Kimimaro that I won that bet. He didn't think that they were ever going to get together." Jugo says happily.

Kimimaro hadn't gotten off as lightly as Jugo. He had stalked Hinata, assaulted Sasuke, and fought with Neji. He was going to serve a total of ten years behind bars, minimum.

Assuming he got out jail for good behavior, he'd have another 5 years of probation after that. Still compared to what could have happened, he got off really easily. (The fact that Jugo and Kimimaro had both given the authorities the information they needed to capture the other Kaguyas, probably also went at long way towards reducing their sentences.).

"I don't even wanna know." Sasuke says.

"Sasuke, we need to have a talk." Hiashi says as he approaches him.

Sasuke raises an eyebrow. Honestly, he thought that he deserved a medal for not strangling his father-in-law for almost getting Hinata, Neji, Hanabi, and a large part of his family killed. Their relationship was strained at best, but they managed to maintain at least an icy civility towards each other.

"You can't possibly be breaking up with me. I'm married to your daughter." Sasuke says.

"You are such a smart aleck. Perhaps if your parents had bothered to discipline you occasionally, you wouldn't be so disrespectful towards your elders." Hiashi says.

"What did you say to MY grandson?" Izuna demands with a raised eyebrow.

So he wanted to pull rank by age? Well he was damn sure he had a couple decades on this whippersnapper. No one messed with his grandson in front of him. That was HIS job. Thank you very much.

"You heard me! Nevermind. That's not what is important now. It's about Daichi and Asami." Hiashi insists.

Daichi and Asami were the next generation of Uchihas and Hyugas. Daichi was Hinata and Sasuke's son. Asami was Tenten and Neji's daughter. The two "cousins" were practically inseparable. They acted more like twins than distant relations.

Sasuke couldn't help but smirk as he remembered the day his son was born. His son's name meant large, earth, and wisdom. He certainly lived up to it.

_"It's okay, Hinata. I'm right here." Sasuke said as he held his wife's hand._

_That had been a mistake. Hinata was not having an easy time of it with their first child. Quite simply, their son was going to be a very big boy. His beloved wife practically crushed his hand as she squeezed it. (Hinata was a lot stronger than she looked)!_

_"AHHHH!" Hinata screamed and Sasuke winced._

_His parents assured him that every natural birth was painful. Still Sasuke couldn't help but worry about Hinata. He knew that first time father jitters had a lot to do with it, but also she was clearly struggling._

_What seemed like an eternity later, their son came into the world. He announced his presence with a loud wail. Thankfully, Hinata's rather graphic threats towards Sasuke ceased the moment that their bundle of joy was placed into her arms. (After their doctor ensured that he was healthy and had the nurse help Hinata clean up, of course)._

_"Oh Sasuke, he's beautiful." Hinata said with a smile._

_"Can I see him without you trying to kill me?" Sasuke asked warily._

_This earned a dirty look from his wife. Sasuke heads over and smiled down at his son. Hinata was right. He was absolutely perfect._

_He had inherited his mother's midnight blue hair, ears, and smile. From Sasuke he had been blessed with his ivory cream skin tone, onyx eyes, and bone structure. He was the perfect blend of both of them._

_"Daichi." Sasuke said simply as he kissed the top of his wife's head and tickled his son's belly._

_Surprisingly, the difficult labor had been the easy part. The hard part was fitting everyone inside the hospital room that wanted to get a good look at their son. His parents, Itachi, Neji, Hanabi, Hiashi, Naruto, Tenten, Shisui, Madara, Izuna, and their lovers had all wanted to catch a glimpse of the little Uchiha Prince. Hell even Orochimaru tried to sneak in._

_"It's getting a little crowded in here." Mikoto observed and her husband nodded in agreement._

_Somehow the Uchiha parents performed a miracle. They ushered everyone out and bestowed upon the happy couple a precious gift. Privacy._

_"So now that he's here, I guess that means no more Morning Sickness or strange food cravings for awhile." Sasuke mused._

_"Hmpf! Well now that our son is here, you can stop treating me like I'm made of broken glass. Isn't that right, sweetheart?" She asked the newborn._

_Sasuke protested that. He did not treat her like broken glass. He just wanted to make sure that her pregnancy was as an easy one as possible._

_"I did not treat you like broken glass." Sasuke argued._

_"Sasuke, you put like twenty pillows on my bed and carried me everywhere because you were worried I might trip." She reminded him._

_Sasuke didn't see anything wrong with that. He was just looking out for her safety and making sure she was comfortable. What was so bad about that?_

_"And? That is so not treating you like broken glass." He insisted._

_"Your father is a good man. He's just a little silly sometimes." Hinata smiled down at Daichi as she started to nurse him._

_"I am not being silly. Who is the one that wanted a pumpkin smoothie?!" Sasuke demanded._

_Hinata giggled. Food cravings were perfectly normal for pregnancies. Of course, the fact that she had craved pumpkin in the middle of spring, had made getting her smoothie difficult. Still Sasuke had managed somehow._

_"That was a good smoothie. You should have tried it." Hinata countered._

_"I think I'll pass." Sasuke said and he shook his head._

_They spent the rest of the day fawning over their newborn son. Other than his first cry when he arrived, Daichi was a surprisingly quiet child. Mostly he cooed or giggle. He really was the most serene baby that Sasuke ever met._

_Well that was until a nurse tried to give him his vaccinations. He hadn't cared for that at all. He had wailed like a banshee and actually tried to bite her. Thankfully, he only had gums at this point. So the nurse had been more shocked than anything._

_"He really doesn't like shots." The nurse said._

_"I guess not. He gets from me." Hinata admits._

_Sasuke raised an eyebrow at that confession. Really? He had a hard time picturing a nurse having such a hard time taking a shot._

_"Really?" Sasuke asked his wife._

_"Mhm. I bawl like a baby." She admitted sheepishly._

_"Well I guess we all have our phobias. Don't worry. You don't need to have any shots done today." Sasuke told her as he kissed the romantic love of his life._

_He smiled down at his son. He didn't know it was possible to love someone as much as he loved Hinata, but it was. Granted, it was a VERY different kind of love, but it was just as strong._

_"He is going to be so spoiled. Poor little guy. It's unlikely he's going to find a woman with breasts like yours." Sasuke said with a smirk._

_Hinata whacked Sasuke with a pillow. She grumbled something about perverts. Sasuke still smirked though. He could tell that secretly she was trying not to laugh and that blush on her cheeks was adorable._

"What about them?" Sasuke demanded.

"Your son is causing havoc along with his cousin. They seem to think that the railings on the stairs are slides. That's very dangerous." Hiashi chided him.

"WEEEE!" Daichi and Asami call out as the pair of children come sliding down the rails at that exact moment.

Luckily, Hinata caught Daichi and Sasuke caught Asami. Both parents sighed in relief when they did so. That was a close one.

"Really, Hinata. You should discipline him more. He's going to get hurt one of these days." Hiashi continues.

Thankfully, Naruto ended up bounding over at that moment. He saw Sasuke's eyes flash red. Uh oh. The last thing that anyone needed was for Sasuke to go into Angry Papa Bear Mode.

"Um yeah. I would probably stop debating parenting styles with them. Yours were kinda lacking. That's why they disowned you in the first place and it took a couple years to reconcile. Remember?" Naruto says cheerfully.

"STAY OUT OF THIS!" Hiashi snaps at him.

It was a good thing they were in the lobby because it was suddenly getting a whole lot more crowded. Tenten and Neji rush over to get their daughter. Asami had her mother's brown hair and father's lavender eyes. Her skin tone matched Neji's, but her features were all Tenten in every other way.

"Asami, you have to stop scaring us like that." Neji says as he takes his daughter back from Sasuke and the other flustered parents hug her tightly.

"Sorry, Daddy." She mumbles.

Sasuke snorts in amusement. He knew that Neji was just as wrapped around Asami's finger, as he was to his son. They were both miserable at "disciplining" their kids.

"You did very well today, dear." Mikoto says to Hanabi as she leads her to the others.

"Thanks. I want to be a great nurse, like my big sister." She says with a smile.

"I'm certain that you will be." Fugaku says as he strides over to his grandson.

"Hey, guys! Sorry I'm late. So are we still going to the fireworks tonight?" Shisui says as he races towards the group, along with Itachi.

"It seems that Mei and Madara got a head start on the fireworks viewing." Itachi notes in amusement as he saw the couple stumble out of one of the rooms.

One didn't need to be a genius to realize what they had just been doing. Their hair were complete messes. Which was hysterical, when you considered that they had enough hair between the two of them to make even the mightiest lion envious. Damn that was a lot of hair.

"Eh. When you get to be our age, you have to seize the moment." Madara says with a smirk.

"Honestly, you are setting such a bad example for the children. Having sex in a hospital?" Fugaku demands and raises an eyebrow.

"Oh I'm sorry. Perhaps I just imagined last week when I happened past your office and overheard you sharing some quality time with your wife. Pot meet kettle." Mei says with a smirk.

Madara chuckles. He knew there was a reason he loved this woman. And it wasn't just because she had an exceptional body. They really were the perfect match.

"Well played, my love." He says and kisses her cheek.

"Thank you, sweetheart." Mei replies with a smile.

Izuna just gapes at Mei. He couldn't believe that the woman had just called his brother a sweetheart. Madara Uchiha was many things. A sweetheart was most certainly not one of them.

"Well he's sweet to me, at least." Mei clarifies and Izuna nods in approval.

"Are you excited to see the fireworks?" Sasuke asks his son as he kneels down on the ground and lets Daichi use him as his personal jungle gym until he gets into piggyback position.

Daichi nods his head excitedly! He loved fireworks. They were so pretty and loud! He liked loud things. Loud meant fun.

"That's good." Hinata says with a smile and gives her husband a brief kiss once he was standing up again.

"Yuck!" Daichi says and makes a face.

"Oh trust me, you'll change your mind one day about kissing beautiful women." Sasuke informs his son who looks at him like he was crazy.

That's when one of the hospital doors opens. In walks Kabuto. You could have heard a pin drop as the silver haired professor walks over to them.

"Orochimaru invited me to celebrate the Fourth of July with him. I just wanted to say that I am sorry about how I acted back then." He says smoothly.

Sasuke didn't buy it for a minute. He contemplates whether or not he could get away with beating the ever living Hell out of the other man or not. It seemed that he didn't have to though.

Daichi and Asami hop off of their fathers and bound over to Kabuto. They look at him curiously. Surprisingly, it was Asami who spoke first.

"You is Kabuto?" She asks in a typically cute toddler fashion.

"Why, yes. I am. Who are you?" He asks.

"I'm Asami. Dat Daichi." She says as if that explains everything.

"Oh I see. Well it's very nice to meet you." He says in confusion.

The toddlers look at each other. Daichi nods at Asami. That was the signal. Both of them had heard their parents talk about 'the bad man.' They might only be three, but they knew exactly how to deal with bad men.

They swing their feet at Kabuto's crotch region. It was really rather conveniently placed for the small children. They might be three, but their kicks were apparently strong enough to cause pain.

"AHHH! WHAT THE FUCK?!" Kabuto grunts out in pain as he sinks to his knees clutching the aggrieved region.

"That's my boy. Come here, Daichi. Get away from the mean old man." Sasuke calls out to his son, who races over to him.

"That demon is your son?! I should have known. You have always been a fucking pain in my ass." Kabuto growls.

Orochimaru sighs. He decides it would be best, if he stepped in. The elderly doctor stands between Kabuto and well everyone else.

"Kids will be kids. You might wish to put some ice on that, before we go out to enjoy the fireworks though." He counsels.

"You're kidding me, right? Those demon spawn just assaulted me!" The silver haired man protests.

"That wasn't an assault. If you lay a hand on my grandson, I can show you what a real assault is." Mikoto warns him and Kabuto blinks.

He had never heard that woman speak in such a way. Mikoto was always kind and gentle. She was always polite. She could be a little sassy, but the dark beauty had never threatened someone before.

"And I will enjoy playing with whatever scraps, my daughter leaves behind." Izuna adds.

"Orochimaru, let's go. These people are all insane. I'm glad that you suggested that I should take that teaching gig. Clearly, they have only gotten more crazy as the years went on." He states.

"Please forgive his rudeness. Anyone would be angry, after being kicked there." Orochimaru says as he heads off with Kabuto.

Naruto shakes his head. He very much doubted that anyone was going to be forgiving Kabuto anytime soon. Still they had better get going or else they were going to miss the start of the show!

"Let's go or we'll miss the opening fireworks. Ayame said she was going to meet me there." He says brightly.

"So did Konohamaru." Hanabi states.

Sasuke shakes his head as everyone heads to the parking lot and drives off to the park. There was going to be a grand fireworks display for the Fourth of July. He knew that Daichi was really looking forward to it.

"When the boom booms start?" He asks excitedly.

"Oh right about now." Hinata says as the first firework shoots into the sky, much to their son's delight.

* * *

At some point during the middle of the night, Sakura decides to visit them. She smiles and chats with Hinata as Daichi watches the fireworks with his father. It was so cute.

"Like father, like son." She muses.

"Mhm." Hinata couldn't help but agree with that assessment.

"I think we are going to call him Doctor Adorable." The pink haired woman says after thinking about it for a moment.

The two Uchiha men weren't paying any attention. Hinata giggles at the nickname and nods. Yes, Doctor Adorable. That had a nice ring to it.

"Well he certainly is adorable. More than likely, he'll go into the family business. So I think it's a fine name. How are you and Shisui doing?" She asks.

"Oh really good. We are going to make our own fireworks later tonight. I never knew that his favorite color was pink." She muses.

Hinata blinks at information. She really hadn't seen that one coming. Well it looked like the matchmaker had found his match.

"That's interesting and rather convenient. Have fun." Hinata says and Sakura nods as she heads off towards Shisui.

She smiles as she watches the other woman leave. The young mother could practically hear the wedding bells ringing. Naturally, Hinata couldn't help but remember her own wedding.

_They had decided to host the wedding inside the hospital. The bride had to hand it to her new family. They certainly knew how to decorate. Somehow they had transformed the lobby into something resembling a fairytale._

_There were beautiful chairs with white silk covers over them and golden cushions. They had laid out a red carpet. Standing in the center of the room was a silver alter with roses of every color woven into it. Colorful lanterns lit the room instead of standard electricity, giving it an almost ethereal atmosphere._

_"She's beautiful!" Hinata heard someone call out after she followed the flower girl down the aisle and walked with her father at her side._

_She felt beautiful with her hair cascading freely down her back, a gorgeous veil and diamond tiara on her head. Her gown was a beautiful shade of ivory cream and made of pure silk. It had a sweetheart neckline and a long train._

_The best part was seeing Sasuke's smiling face as she finally made it to the alter. The preacher cleared his throat and began the ceremony. His words were fairly standard, but the day was anything but that._

_"Dearly beloved. We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Sasuke Uchiha and Hinata Hyuga. If anyone here has any reason why they should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace." He said and thankfully, no one objected. (It would have been a bloodbath otherwise)._

_"Do you Hinata, take Sasuke to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold? In sickness and in health? For richer and for poor? For better and for worse? And to forsake all others until death do you part?" The middle aged man continued._

_"I do." Hinata said with a smile._

_"Do you Sasuke, take Hinata to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold? In sickness and in health? For richer and for poor? For better and for worse? And to forsake all others until death do you part?" The preacher asked Sasuke._

_"I do." Sasuke said._

_"Then by the power vested in me, I pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride." He finished._

_Sasuke didn't need to be told twice. Hinata felt herself moaning into her husband's rather passionate kiss. She knew that they must have gotten a bit carried away because soon there were some catcalls._

_The rest of the night was spent laughing, dancing, drinking, and of course throwing the bouquet and garter belt. Perhaps not surprisingly, Izuna caught the belt. Tsunade caught the flowers and they were married three months later. (Perhaps there some truth to that superstition after all, Hinata mused)._

_"I love you." Sasuke said to her as they danced._

_"I love you too, Doctor Love." She said with a wink._

_"Oh God. Not that stupid nickname." He muttered as he twirled her around the dance floor._

_Hinata giggled. She knew how much her husband loathed that nickname. She couldn't resist though. His expression was priceless whenever he was called that._

_"Does that mean you aren't going to live up to it, on our Honeymoon?" She asked._

_"Oh that is one time that I am DEFINITELY living up to it." Sasuke assured her with a smirk._

Sasuke had certainly kept his word. That Honeymoon had been a blur of passion. The nurse was almost certain that Daichi had been conceived during it. Sasuke was nothing, if not very **_attentive_** in his husbandly duties.

* * *

Later that night, they went home. Once Daichi was safely tucked in bed, the lovers made their way to their room. They knew that their son was perfectly safe because Shadow absolutely adored Daichi and was perhaps the most protective guard dog in the world.

"Mmm I like where this is going. You want to make some fireworks of our own?" He asks after Hinata had playfully pinned him to the bed.

"I'd like that. Plus, I have been thinking. Maybe we should try to give Daichi a sister or brother." She suggests.

"I really like the sound of that." Sasuke agreed and he rolled them around until he was on top.

One thing was for damn sure, on that night. Doctor love definitely lived up to his nickname. Sasuke might dislike it, but it was entirely accurate. (Well at least in Hinata's not so humble opinion).


End file.
